How You Can See the Best Meteor Shower of the Year

The Perseid meteor shower is said to be the best of the year, often bringing well over 50 shooting stars per hour in the northern sky.

This annual meteor shower comes as Earth passes through the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, causing bright streaks that appear as though they’re radiating from the constellation Perseus.

And this year, the viewing opportunities are about as good as they can get.

The Perseids will peak this weekend between the 12th and 13th, when moonless nights will make for an especially dark sky.

According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower will reach the beginning of its peak at 4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday the 12th. This will last until 4 a.m. on the 13th.

Shooting stars will be visible north and south of the equator, though observers in mid-northern latitudes will have the best views.

This means the United States, Europe, and Canada will be able to see the Perseids at their best, along with stellar views in Mexico and Central America, Asia, much of Africa, and parts of South America.

Meteors will be visible for those south of the equator, too, though not at the rate seen in more northern areas.

The best time to look for meteors will be from a few hours after twilight until dawn, NASA says.

For viewers in southern latitudes, they’ll start to appear in the sky around midnight and continue through the early hours of the morning.

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