BAYINGOLIN, CHINA - AUGUST 12: The Perseid meteor shower is observed above a desert on August 12, 2024 in Yuli County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. (Photo by Xue Bing/VCG via Getty Images)
Don't forget to look up this week, or you might miss one of the most spectacular sights of the summer.
What we know:
The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak this Tuesday and Wednesday. Here's everything you need to know:
When is the best time to see it?
Head out after midnight, and before 5 a.m. to look for the meteors at maximum activity. They could be visible as early as 10 p.m. Tuesday.
During the peak, which will be around 2-3 a.m. Wednesday, you have a shot at seeing a shooting star every 10 to 20 minutes!
Where to look
Around midnight, look toward the north or northeast. If you're up before sunrise, look east.
However, visibility could be impacted by the moon, which will be 84 percent full at the meteor shower's peak.
Dig deeper:
Every August, the Earth runs into dust left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet.
When dust enters our sky, it agitates the air. The air then gives off extra energy as a glow of light, which we see as shooting stars.
Nothing is actually on fire when you see a meteor - it's just air giving off light.
The dust that agitates our air gets smaller and smaller as it falls, and eventually disappears.
The Perseid meteors will originate in the part of the sky where the Perseus is located. The Perseus is a cluster of stars whose shape supposedly resembles the Greek mythological hero "Perseus."
Meteor showers are named after the cluster of stars near where they appear.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the FOX 29 Weather team.