Perseid meteor shower, one of the most dramatic of the year, is underway

One of the best meteor showers of the year is underway, offering the opportunity to see shooting stars in the summer night sky.

O annual Perseid meteor shower began on Sunday and will last until the end of August. This year’s rain will peak on the night of August 12th, into the early hours of August 13th.

The Perseid meteor shower is typically one of the most dramatic because it produces bright meteors at a high hourly rate. At the peak of the rain, skywatchers could see up to 100 per hour in dark locations (weather permitting).

The timing of the rain during the Northern Hemisphere summer makes it a popular event because skywatching can be enjoyed in hot conditions.

Meteors are often called “shooting stars”, but the celestial display comes from small pieces of debris in space that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a cloud of dust particles and debris from a comet known as 109P/Swift-Tuttle, discovered in 1862. The rays of light are created when the pieces hit the atmosphere and vaporize, leaving behind glowing trails as they disintegrate.

The Perseids get their name because the shooting stars appear to stream from a point in the sky where the constellation Perseus is located, according to NASA. The constellation rises in the northeast, but meteors should be visible across the entire sky if conditions are clear.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the best times to see the Perseids will be around midnight until dawn, after the moon sets.

For prime viewing, viewers should choose a dark, unobstructed location away from city lights or other light pollution.

This article was originally published in NBCNews. with