The annual Perseid meteor shower has arrived and it’s forecasted to put on quite the show this week for those who are willing to wake up in the middle of the night. Astronomers say that up to 100 meteors per hour are expected to streak across the sky during the shower’s peak. Unfortunately the peak this year was last night and we were under cloudy skies for most of the state. You can still make it outside tonight to take a gander but there won’t be quite as many as Tuesday or Wednesday night. The best time to watch will be between midnight and 5AM. You’ll have to find an area away from any city lights and also where the moon will be blocked. As it is just under 2/3 full, it will be pretty bright in the sky and could block out the visibility of passing meteors.

The Perseids are bits of debris from the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time. Most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the sky.