Cape May's Dark Skies Could Offer Prime View of Sept. 9 Meteor Shower

Issue #802

September 08, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather 

🔭Cape May's Dark Skies Could Offer Prime View of Sept. 9 Meteor Shower

🦋Cape May Point Science Center to Host Pollinator Garden Lunch & Learn 

👮🏻‍♂️Three Arrested After Wildwood Police Recover Guns During Traffic Stop

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Survivors of Cancer

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇

 September 8

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 Cape May's Dark Skies Could Offer Prime View of Sept. 9 Meteor Shower

Cape May County skywatchers will have a chance to catch a lesser-known meteor shower this week, with unusually dark skies creating favorable conditions along the Jersey Shore.

The September Epsilon Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the best viewing in Cape May likely coming late Wednesday night into the early morning hours of Thursday, Sept. 10.

Unlike the much more active Perseid meteor shower that arrives each August, the September Epsilon Perseids are considered a minor shower. Under ideal dark-sky conditions, observers could see as many as eight meteors per hour, although rates closer to five per hour are more typical.

What makes 2026 particularly promising is the Moon.

A New Moon arrives late Sept. 10, leaving the nights surrounding the meteor shower's peak with very little moonlight. That should make it easier to see some of the shower's fainter meteors, especially from darker sections of Cape May County away from streetlights and commercial areas.

For Cape May observers, the most practical viewing period begins around 10 or 11 p.m. Wednesday and continues through the predawn hours Thursday. Conditions generally improve after midnight as the constellation Perseus, where the meteors appear to originate, rises higher in the northeastern sky.

There may also be an additional reason to watch around 2:10 a.m. Thursday in Cape May.

Meteor researchers have calculated that Earth could pass near an older trail of debris associated with the shower at approximately 06:10 UTC Sept. 10, which corresponds to 2:10 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

The encounter could result in a temporary increase in meteor activity, although astronomers caution that such predictions are uncertain and an obvious outburst may not occur.

Where to watch in Cape May

Cape May's developed downtown and surrounding communities produce enough artificial light to make faint meteors more difficult to see. Darker areas near the southern and western ends of the peninsula can provide better conditions.

The Cape May Point and Sunset Beach area offers broad views of the sky and fewer urban lights than downtown Cape May. Beaches and other legal public viewing areas with unobstructed horizons can be particularly useful for meteor watching.

South Cape May Meadows and the Garrett Family Preserve also offer open landscapes away from the brightest parts of town, although visitors should check current property hours, parking restrictions and nighttime access rules before planning a late-night visit.

Wherever observers go, the darkest safe and legally accessible location will generally provide the best results.

No telescope needed

The September Epsilon Perseids appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, but viewers do not need to stare directly toward the constellation.

Meteors can streak across almost any portion of the sky. Watching a broad section of open sky with the unaided eye provides a better chance of spotting them than using binoculars or a telescope, which restrict the field of view.

A reclining chair or blanket can make a longer viewing session more comfortable.

Observers should also allow roughly 20 to 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Bright phone screens, flashlights and nearby vehicle headlights can interfere with night vision.

A much smaller shower than August's Perseids

Anyone expecting a repeat of August's Perseid meteor shower should temper expectations.

The August Perseids can sometimes produce dozens of visible meteors per hour. The September Epsilon Perseids are considerably quieter, and someone watching from a location affected by light pollution may see only a few shower meteors during an hour.

The September shower is also a separate meteor stream despite its similar name.

Both showers appear to originate from the general region of Perseus, but astronomers classify them independently. The August Perseids are associated with Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, while the parent object responsible for the September Epsilon Perseids has not been firmly identified.

The September shower has occasionally shown unexpected bursts of activity, including notable episodes in 2008 and 2013. That history, combined with the possibility of encountering an older debris trail this year, is giving astronomers another reason to monitor the 2026 display.

For casual observers in Cape May, however, the dark sky may be the biggest attraction.

Even if only a handful of meteors appear, the nearly moonless conditions Wednesday night into Thursday morning should provide one of the better September opportunities for stargazing along the Cape May peninsula.

The shower remains active beyond its peak, approximately from Sept. 5 through Sept. 21, but Wednesday night and early Thursday are expected to offer the best combination of meteor activity and dark skies.

Cape May Point Science Center to Host Pollinator Garden Lunch & Learn

The Cape May Point Science Center will host a special Lunch & Learn presentation with Head Gardener Katie Bliss on Tuesday, Sept. 15, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at The Center.

The program, “How the Pollinator Garden Came to Be(e),” will explore the history and development of the Science Center’s pollinator garden. Bliss will also share practical gardening insights designed to help residents create attractive outdoor spaces that benefit bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

The presentation will highlight gardening practices that support pollinators while taking local environmental conditions into consideration.

Attendees are invited to bring their own lunch and enjoy an informal educational program focused on creating beautiful, pollinator-friendly gardens.

Three Arrested After Wildwood Police Recover Guns During Traffic Stop

A traffic stop in Wildwood over Labor Day weekend led to the arrests of three Pennsylvania residents and the seizure of two loaded handguns, including one allegedly equipped with a device capable of enabling automatic fire, according to Wildwood police.

Officers stopped a maroon Chrysler on Rio Grande Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 5, after observing several alleged motor vehicle violations. Police said the vehicle had a Pennsylvania license plate that was partially obscured with black tape.

During the stop, officers observed a handgun inside a crossbody bag that one of the suspects had removed from the vehicle, according to police.

Authorities identified the weapon as a loaded .45-caliber Glock 21 equipped with a device commonly known as a switch, which can allow a semiautomatic handgun to fire automatically. Officers also recovered a 30-round extended magazine and hollow-point ammunition, police said.

A subsequent search of the Chrysler led officers to a second loaded firearm inside a bag in the front passenger area. Police identified that weapon as a Taurus 9mm handgun equipped with a large-capacity magazine. Additional ammunition was also recovered.

What former borough of Cape May County was dissolved after being severely damaged by the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944?

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 Answer to the September 7th Trivia Question 

What is the name of the Victorian-era architectural style that became prominent in Cape May after the devastating fire of 1878?

A) Gothic Revival
B) Queen Anne
C) Georgian
D) Italianate

Answer: B) Queen Anne

This style, characterized by features like gingerbread trim, gables, and turrets, became popular in Cape May as the town was rebuilt following the fire​.

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