Perseid meteor shower brightens night sky with celestial show

When the tiny pieces of debris hit the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 132,000 mph, they flash across the sky in an awesome display of the Perseids.

Although the meteor shower is already underway, it started in late July, the peak viewing times this year are coming up on the nights between Aug. 11 and Aug. 13, according to NASA.

Those peak viewing times, however, coincide with a full moon, which will reduce the number of meteors from 60 an hour to 15 to 20, NASA said.

Here are a few tips form the space agency on the best way to view the Perseids:

- Wake up early or stay up late on the nights between Aug. 11 and Aug. 13.
- The best viewing is between 2 a.m. local time and dawn.
- It's best to try and see them after the moon sets around 3 a.m. and between dawn.
- If you're not a night owl, go out for a gander around 9 p.m., but the better viewing time is during the early morning hours.
- Pick a viewing spot away from bright lights. You won't need any special equipment to see the Perseids. Just lay back and look up.
- No telescopes or binoculars are needed as the Perseids can be seen across the sky.
- Also, it takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark so you can see more meteors.

If this doesn't sound like a good way to view the meteors or there's bad weather in your area, NASA has you covered. The agency is providing a live broadcast of the Perseids from a camera in Huntsville, Alabama, weather allowing. It will be available on NASA's Meteor Watch Facebook page starting around 8 p.m. on Aug. 13.

The agency is also providing video recordings of the Perseids by the NASA All Sky Fireball Network each morning.