We’re lucky to get fleeting moments throughout the year when we can witness beautiful sights in the sky.
And thanks to space experts, we’re fortunate enough to have a heads up as to when we’ll get the best view of them.
The Perseids, which NASA describes as “the best meteor shower of the year,” will peak this week.
Perseids, known for their fireballs, can persist longer than an average meteor streak, due to the larger explosions of color.
And, according to NASA, the Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers, at 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour. Plus, they’re easy to view.
While it’s possible to see the Perseids as early as 10 p.m. (in any time zone), the best viewing is during the pre-dawn hours.
It is predicted that the greatest number of meteors will be seen on the mornings of Aug. 11, 12 and 13.
Plus, there will be no moon to steal the show, since the moon will be in a waxing crescent phase. What does that mean? In short, it will set in the west very early in the evening, so it won’t even be a factor in the shower.
The best thing you can do, according to EarthSky, is to find wide-open, dark sky, watch between midnight and dawn, and give yourself at least an hour of observing time to really catch some good sights.
Will you be watching?