Perseid meteor shower over the US (live)

PAX; Sophie Lewis (CBS News, 7/12/21); Sheldon S., Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Perseid meteor 2018 with Milky Way in the distance, over the Alps (Getty Images)

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How to watch the Perseids — the best meteor shower of the year

What's that light in the sky? - A UFO/UAP?

The past few months have delivered several spectacular celestial phenomena, including the rare "super flower blood moon" lunar eclipse, "ring of fire" solar eclipse and a beautiful strawberry super-moon.

But now, the year's best meteor shower, Perseids, has arrived, promising to bring spectacular shooting stars to the summer sky. Astrophotographers will want to make sure their telescopes and cameras are ready for this epic cosmic event, which delivers incredible photos each year.

What are the Perseids?

The Perseids are active every year from around July 14 to August 24, according to NASA. The meteor shower peaks in mid-August, peaking this year on August 11, 12 and 13. Under ideal conditions, skywatchers can expect to see up to 100 meteors per hour — a much higher amount than most other showers.

NASA considers it the best shower of the year, and it's always a crowd-pleaser. The meteors are very fast and bright, regularly leaving long tails of light and color behind them as they streak across the sky at around 37 miles per second. They are also known for their fireballs, big explosions of bright light and color that last longer than an average meteor streak. More