The Perseid summer meteor shower is set to peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with astronomers indicating promising viewing conditions across the northern hemisphere. Under ideal circumstances, NASA suggests that 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible. The American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour could be seen from rural regions in the US.
This year's peak coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland, and Greenland, and a six-planet parade, though the best time to view the meteors will be after totality. The moon will be in its new moon phase during the Perseids' peak, which astronomers say will improve visibility by preventing moonlight from flooding the sky.
The Perseids are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. Observations of this annual celestial event date back over 2,000 years. Astronomers recommend going outside after dark, away from clouds and city lights, and allowing eyes a half-hour to adjust. The best views are anticipated between midnight and dawn, when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky.