The biggest and best meteor shower of the year will reach its peak today— August 12th. The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a stream of debris that was left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which happens every August. Meteors will appear to come from the northeast, but viewers will be able to see celestial movement anywhere in the night sky. To maximize chances of viewing the shower, NASA suggests going to the darkest location possible and looking in the sky from the time that the moon sets until dawn. Getting away from light pollution and finding an unobstructed view of the night sky is necessary to spot some of the 150 shooting stars per hour flying through the sky. Scientists also recommend not looking at smartphones or screens during your viewing time, as the white light will negatively impact night vision abilities, and to leave telescopes and binoculars at home. The average Perseid meteor travels at 133,200 miles per hour and is about the size of a grain of sand, but they become visible to the naked eye when they are about 60 miles from the ground.
Image via Space.com
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