Perseid meteor shower to be best viewed on August 12

Washington, August 7 (ANI): Reports indicate that this year's best viewing of the Perseid meteor shower will be before dawn on August 12, with a second chance after sunset that night.

At its peak, this year's shower could produce up to 100 meteors per hour.

The actual peak is during the day for viewers in North America, so people won't see as many meteors as other parts of the world.

On August 12, the waning gibbous Moon will rise before midnight and climb higher hour by hour. It will be fairly bright, with more than 60 percent of its surface illuminated.

Even so, people should still expect to see a fair number of bright meteors.

Perseid meteors appear to fall from the constellation Perseus, but they are not associated with it. The meteors are actually leftover debris from comet Swift-Tuttle.

The Perseid meteors recur each year when Earth passes through its debris trail.

For the best view of the heavenly spectacle, people should get away from city lights. They should look for state or city parks or other safe, dark sites. (ANI)