Heads (and eyes) up, skywatchers! The annual Perseid meteor shower is underway and will hit its peak this weekend.
The meteor shower, so named because the meteors appear to come from the constellation Perseus, lasts for several weeks – from July 17 to Aug. 24 – but peak meteor activity will take place between about 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 12 and 4 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 13, according to NASA.
During the peak, one can expect to see as many as 60 or 70 meteors per hour.
Night sky conditions should be great for meteor viewing: The peak coincides perfectly with the new moon, meaning the sky will be plenty dark and meteors will be easy to spot. Most meteor showers are best after midnight.
But if clouds hit your neck of the woods before the shower starts, there's a way to catch the shooting stars online.
The 2018 Perseid meteor shower will be streamed live online, courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy. The livestream is embedded below.
