If you enjoy gazing at the starry summer sky, the best show of the year happens this week. The Perseid meteor shower reaches peak activity August 12 – 13, and at its peak you’ll be able to see about 50 meteors an hour.

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Every 133 years the huge comet swings through the inner solar system and leaves behind a trail of dust and gravel. When Earth passes through the debris, specks of this dust and gravel hit the atmosphere at 140,000 mph and disintegrate in flashes of light. These meteors are called Perseids because they fly out of the constellation Perseus.

For best viewing, get away from light-polluted urban areas and head to a place where it gets really dark at night, like the mountains or the country. Happy star gazing!

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