How to see the Perseid meteor shower this summer
It's the time of the summer when the Perseid meteor shower lights up the night sky.
The Perseids occur every year from about July 17 to Aug. 23 and typically peak around mid-August, according to the American Meteor Society. This year, the Perseids are expected to peak between Aug. 12 and 13, according to AMS.
The Perseid meteor shower is known for its frequency of meteors – capable of producing between 50 and 100 visible meteors per hour in a clear dark sky, according to NASA.
Astronomers consider the Perseids the best meteor shower of the year because its "swift and bright" meteors often leave long wakes of light and color behind as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere, NASA says.
The Perseids are also known for their fireballs: larger explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak, according to NASA. Fireballs, which are created from larger particles of cometary material, tend to appear brighter.
The Perseids originate from the debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle as it orbits the sun. The large comet has a nucleus of 16 miles and orbits the sun every 133 years.
When comets come around the sun, the dust emitted as the debris collides with Earth's atmosphere forms a trail that creates fiery, colorful streaks in the sky, according to NASA.
The Perseids are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the predawn hours, per NASA, but they can be viewed throughout the evening.
To locate the Perseid meteor shower, look toward the constellation Perseus, in the northern sky, where the Perseids appear to originate and which gives the shower its name.
NASA advises stargazers to lie flat on their backs in a region away from light pollution for best viewing. After about 30 minutes, eyes should be adjusted to the dark enough to see the meteor showers, according to the agency.
