The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak this weekend, sending bright trails of light streaking across the night sky.

With only a sliver of moon in the sky, conditions this year will be ideal for seeing lots of meteors.

香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檝e got nice clear weather and a good dark sky, you go out just before dawn and you香蕉视频直播檒l see a Perseid per minute or so,香蕉视频直播� said NASA meteor scientist Bill Cooke. 香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 a pretty good show.香蕉视频直播�

What are the perseids?

The Perseids 香蕉视频直播� one of the biggest meteor showers we can see 香蕉视频直播� occur every year in the late summer. Meteor showers happen when the Earth moves through fields of debris floating around in space. The Perseids come from comet Swift-Tuttle, a big ball of ice and rock that sheds pieces of dusty debris as it orbits around the sun. When the Earth passes by, those bits get caught in our atmosphere and burn up, creating the streaking lights. The Perseids get their name from the constellation Perseus, because the meteors香蕉视频直播� paths appear to start out from this point in the sky.

When is the shower?

This year香蕉视频直播檚 shower is already active, but the main event will be this weekend, when the shower reaches its peak from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Starting around 11 p.m. local time Saturday, a few meteors will start to show up 香蕉视频直播� maybe one every 15 minutes, Cooke estimated. They香蕉视频直播檒l keep picking up the pace until before dawn on Sunday, when 香蕉视频直播測ou香蕉视频直播檒l see meteors appear all over the place,香蕉视频直播� he said.

How can I see them?

During this weekend香蕉视频直播檚 peak, the moon will be a waning crescent 香蕉视频直播� just a small slice in the sky. That香蕉视频直播檚 good news because a bright moon can make it harder to spot the meteors. Last year, the moon was full during the peak. Anyone in the Northern Hemisphere will have a good view this year, as long as the sky is clear of light pollution and clouds. You don香蕉视频直播檛 need any equipment to see them, but you will need to give your eyes around half an hour to adjust to the dark. Avoid looking at your cellphone since that can ruin your night vision.

The Perseids can appear anywhere in the sky. So just 香蕉视频直播渓ie on your back, look away from the moon and take in as much sky as you can,香蕉视频直播� Cooke said.

Maddie Burakoff, The Associated Press