The Perseid meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers seen each year, has started. It will peak on August 12-13 and will remain visible until August 24.
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Origin
The Perseid meteor shower, like most other meteor showers, occurs when Earth crosses the trail of dust left by a comet. In this case, it is comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
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Celestial display
This meteor shower is associated with fireballs. Fireballs are explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak, per NASA.
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Witness shooting stars!
The best time to view the Perseid meteor shower will be on the nights of August 12-13. During the peak, you can see up to 100 shooting stars per hour.
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Constellation Perseus
The Perseid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Perseus. The meteors appear to originate from the direction of this constellation.
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Gaze at meteors
To witness the Perseids, pick a dark location, and allow 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the sky. You can use astronomy apps to track the best location for viewing.