Perseid Meteor Shower to Reach Peak in Mid-August

While this particular shower will last from late July through August 20, you can see it in its full effect on August 13.

According to NASA experts, this could be the best meteor shower of the year. Because the moon will be near a new moon and a crescent shape, it'll make viewing even better as the moon will be "setting" by the time the bulk of the star shower happens.

The best time to see the show is on the nights of August 11-12 and 12-13 after midnight, but it looks like the 12th into the 13th will be the night to watch. In addition to being able to see the meteor shower (with fireballs!), you will be able to see Mars and Saturn, depending on your viewing location.

It does take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to complete darkness which will help you see the shower even more clearly. If you can get out into a suburban area where there is minimal light pollution, you should be able to see about 1-2 meteors per minute. Bring blankets and hoodies because you'll probably want to camp outside for a few hours beforehand to let your eyes adjust and to get the full effect.

If you happen to catch any great shots of the meteor shower here on the SouthCoast, please share them with us on Facebook!