Look up! Perseid meteor shower to peak this week, expected to be easily visible

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Alright, stargazers – you’re going to want to look to the sky this week. While the Perseid meteors have been showering the sky since mid-July, it’s expected to peak Aug. 11-13, according to EarthSky.

Known for their fireballs, NASA says the Perseids are “one of the most plentiful showers,” making it easy to watch, weather permitting.

Your best chance of catching a view of the shower is in the early morning hours, usually midnight to dawn, when the most meteors will be flying. Though, it is possible to see meteors from this shower as early as 10 p.m.

Check out this map to find the best places to stargaze worldwide.

NASA says, “Perseids frequently leave long ‘wakes’ of light and color behind them as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere.”

You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to watch the skies because the meteors come in spurts. During its peak, you could catch 50-100 meteors per hour.

The Perseid meteor shower is named in honor of the constellation Perseus the Hero, according to EarthSky.

“It is said that the Perseid shower commemorates the time when Zeus visited Danaë, the mother of Perseus, in a shower of gold,” the organization writes.