The peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower is coming this week! The Perseids are perhaps the most popular meteor shower of the year. Typical rates are about 80 meteors an hour, but in outburst years (such as in 2016) the rate can be between 150-200 meteors an hour.
In 2017, the Perseids will be a little more difficult to see due to the presence of the moon, which will be three-quarters full and will rise shortly before the shower hits its peak around midnight local time.
The good news is that the Perseids are rich in fireballs!
Earth will pass through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle from July 17 to Aug. 24, with the shower’s peak – when Earth passes through the densest, dustiest area – occurring on Aug. 12. That means you’ll see the most meteors in the shortest amount of time near that peak, but you can still catch some action from the famed meteor shower before or after that point.