Here’s When to See the Perseid Meteor Shower

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Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower Live

Armchair astronomers, get ready. One of the best meteor showers of the year is coming in just a few days.

The Perseid meteor shower will be lighting up the night sky starting Wednesday. The annual display could fill the sky with as many as 100 meteors per hour during its peak, according to NASA. This year the shower is peaking just before a new moon, so meteors will appear especially bright on the background of darkness.

Aug. 12 and Aug. 13 will be the ideal nights to catch the Perseids. NASA advises viewers to get as far away from city lights as possible and to keep the binoculars and telescopes at home as the meteors are easiest to see when taking in the whole sky. Also, don’t look at your cell phone. The bright screen will delay your eyes’ ability to get accustomed to the dark.

PHOTOS: 20 Breathtaking Images of Earth From Space

Aleppo, Syria
Aleppo, Syria, May 26, 2013 – The Citadel of Aleppo – medieval fortified palaceDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast, Northern Ireland, Nov. 3, 2013 – “Wish,” a large-scale art workDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Colorado River
Utah, USA, April 22, 2013 – Colorado RiverDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Cuanza River, Angola
Cuanza River, Angola, April 28, 2013 – Cambambe DamDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Doha, Qatar
Doha, Qatar, March 4, 2013 – Artificial island spanning nearly four million sq meters.DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Dunalley, Australia
Dunalley, Australia, Jan. 6, 2013 – fires, false color image (red = healthy vegetation)DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Great Barrier Reef
Australia, April 22, 2013 – Great Barrier ReefDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Gwadar coast, Pakistan
Gwadar coast, Pakistan Sept. 29, 2013 – new island created by earthquake in PakistanDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Croatia
Croatia, Feb. 16, 2013 – Galešnjak (Island of Love)DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong, China May 9, 2013 – giant rubber duckDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Manam Volcano
Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2013 – Manam VolcanoDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Namib Desert, Namibia
Namib Desert, Namibia, May 13, 2013 – Sossusvlie areaDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Mount Vesuvius
Naples, Italy, Feb. 19 2013 – Mount VesuviusDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Niger
Niger, Feb. 13, 2013 – Arlit Uranium MineDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Schooner Cays, Bahamas
Schooner Cays, Bahamas, May 26, 2013DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Sochi, Russia
Sochi, Russia, March 17, 2013 – Site of 2014 winter OlympicsDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Near the city of Sur, Oman
Near the city of Sur, Oman, Feb. 13, 2013 – massive “green tide”DigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Valencia, Spain
Valencia, Spain, July 19, 2013 – Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and Gulliver Park with an enormous fiberglass model of Lemuel Gulliver trappedDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Versailles, France
Versailles, France, Aug. 20, 2013 – Palace of VersaillesDigitalGlobe—Getty Images
Xi'an, China
Xi'an, China, Sept. 24, 2013 – Shiyuan Park DigitalGlobe—Getty Images

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