How and where to See the 2017 Perseid Meteor Shower

This is simply going to be a delight for the space lovers out there as nature is going to treat us to a marvelous spectacle where we will be able to see shooting stars in the sky, their wish is granted.

As this weekend the night sky will be filled with glowing streaks as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak, with the best views in the northern hemisphere.“People have looked up and noticed these showers and wondered about what they meant for thousands of years,” said Chris Lintott, professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford and co-presenter of The Sky at Night.

Although it officially starts on July 17, the shower runs through until August 27 and hits its peak in the early part of the month. At that point, astronomers can see up to 80 shooting stars an hour. This year, the Perseid meteor shower is set to peak on the night of Saturday, August 12.

A good thing about the Perseid meteor shower is that you can see it with the naked eye so there's no need for an expensive telescope or camera to enjoy it. What is the Perseid meteor shower? The Perseid meteor shower is named after the Perseus constellation, which is the point from which they appear to come from in the night sky, the Perseids are pieces of debris from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

As these chunks of celestial rock fall from space through the Earth's atmosphere, they appear as bright streaks of light zipping across the sky.The best time to spot the display is between 1 am and before the onset of dawn twilight. Stargazers should allow around 20 minutes for their eyes to become accustomed to the dark.