Perseid Meteor Shower visible in NC, peaks midweek; here's what to expect

Photographers and stargazers, circle Wednesday, August 12, on your calendars so that you don't miss the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower!

The American Meteor Society says, "The Perseid Meteor Shower offers a consistently high rate of meteors every year, and it occurs in August when the temperatures are usually nice enough for a night under the stars."

In most rural locations, 30 to 60 meteors per hour could spark in the sky on peak night, offering stunning views for stargazers. Under very ideal conditions, even up to 100 meteors per hour are possible.

The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy ball that orbits the sun every 133 years and isn't scheduled for a return visit until 2125. Observations of this meteor shower date back over 2,000 years.

With peak night for the Perseids falling within a new moon, meaning no moonlight to contend with, nearly perfect viewing conditions are on tap this year.

From 11:00 p.m. until sunrise, look straight up in a completely dark location to see the meteors light up the sky. Give your eyes time to adjust to the night sky as well.

The meteor shower's peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland and Greenland and a six-planet parade - though the best time to view the fireballs will come after totality.

SEE ALSO | Meteorite that crashed into a New Jersey home contains 'extraterrestrial' amino acids

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