Stargazers will be treated with one of the year's brightest meteor showers.
The Perseids reaches its peak on the night of Aug. 12 into the early morning of Wednesday, Aug. 13, and its visibility should be ideal thanks to the new moon phase that will keep the skies dark, according to NASA.
During the peak, the shower can produce as many as 50-100 meteors per hour if viewing conditions are right, NASA says.The popular meteor shower will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere and meteors will appear to come from an area near the constellation Perseus, streaking out from this area of the sky in all directions, according to the Planetary Society.
You can also watch NASA's livestream starting at 10 p.m. MT/11 p.m. CT on Aug. 13 with a meteor watch party
on YouTube.
"Throughout the night, we’ll talk to meteor experts, watch live views of the skies, and answer your questions," NASA said, adding that cameras will be set up at Marshall Space Flight Center’s ALaMO – the Automated Lunar and Meteor Observatory.
If you hope still to catch the show in person, here's the best way to watch the bright lights in the sky.
What time is the meteor shower?
The Perseids reaches its peak on the night of Aug. 12 into the early morning of Wednesday, Aug. 13.
The best way to watch the Perseid meteor shower is to find a location with dark skies, give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and simply look up, according to NASA.
What are the Perseids?
The Perseids are among the oldest recorded meteor showers, with observations dating back more than 2,000 years. The Perseids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is visible in the northern sky.
"They are a favorite annual event because they are reliably active and visible, take place in warmer months, and are known for producing fireballs – exceptionally bright meteors that leave a glowing trail as they streak across the sky," NASA states.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: What time is the meteor shower? What to know about watching Perseids
