The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks this week, giving North State skywatchers a chance to see dozens of shooting stars an hour, with the new moon making for especially dark skies.
The meteor shower is already underway, with some of the best viewing expected overnight Wednesday and Thursday.
The key to seeing the shower is finding a dark location away from city lights. Under ideal conditions, skywatchers could see dozens of meteors an hour, including the occasional bright fireball.
No telescope or binoculars are needed. Find a comfortable place to recline, look up and give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Meteors can appear across the night sky.
The Perseids are caused by debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As Earth passes through the comet’s trail, tiny particles — some about the size of a pencil point — hit the atmosphere at tremendous speeds and burn up, creating flashes of light.
The best viewing is generally between midnight and dawn, though meteors may also be visible earlier in the night.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs each year as Earth passes through the debris left behind by Swift-Tuttle.
