What may be the best meteor shower to view this year is peaking this week.
A favorite of many stargazers, the Perseids meteor shower is underway and will be at its peak over the next few days, with meteors visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere. Those who want to catch the astronomical event from indoors can watch a four-hour stream on Thursday night via Slooh, a space broadcasting website, which will feature astronomy and meteorology experts. About 50 to 60 meteors will be visible every hour during the event.
These Are the Best Photos of the 2016 Perseids Meteor Shower
Satellites, planes and comets transit across the night sky under stars that appear to rotate above Corfe Castle, United Kingdom, on Aug. 12, 2016.The Perseids meteor shower occurs every year when the Earth passes through the cloud of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, and appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky. Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesA Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above Inspiration Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, early on Aug. 12, 2016.Ethan Miller—Getty ImagesA view of meteors lighting up the night sky above a wind turbine at 'Saint Nikola' wind park near the Kavarna, some 500km from Sofia, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2016. Vassil Donev—EPAA meteor streaks past stars in the night sky above the ruins of a church in the Los Alcornocales (cork oak forests) nature park, during the Perseid meteor shower in the ancient village of La Sauceda, near Cortes de la Frontera, southern Spain, in the early morning of Aug. 12, 2016. Jon Nazca—ReutersA shooting star is seen in the night sky during the Perseids meteor shower in Jankowo, Poland, Aug. 11, 2016. Lukasz Ogrodowczyk—EPAA composite image made from 726 photographs taken over three hours, showing the rotation of the earth around Polaris, the North Star, in the night sky over Ashton Windmill, Somerset ahead of the Perseid meteor shower, Aug. 10, 2016. Ben Birchall—PA Wire/Press Association ImagesA meteor streaks across the sky in the early morning during the Perseid meteor shower in Ramon Crater near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel, Aug. 12, 2016. Amir Cohen—ReutersA meteor streaks past stars in the night sky above medieval tombstones in Radmilje near Stolac, south of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Aug. 12, 2016. Dado Ruvic—ReutersA Perseid meteor flashes across the night sky above Corfe Castle, United Kingdom, on Aug. 12, 2016.Dan Kitwood—Getty ImagesMeteors streak across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower above Van Lake, in eastern Turkey, Aug. 12, 2016. Sitki Yildiz—Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesA meteor streaks across the sky in the early morning during the Perseid meteor shower in Ramon Crater near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel, Aug. 12, 2016. Amir Cohen—ReutersA meteor moving past stars in the night sky over lake Neusiedlersee near Moerbisch am See, around 70km southeast of Vienna, Austria, early Aug. 12, 2016.Lisi Niesner—EPAThe Perseids meteor shower, Russia, Aug. 12, 2016. Vladimir Astapkovich—Sputnik/APIn this 30 second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in Spruce Knob, West Virginia, Aug. 12, 2016.Bill Ingalls—NASAA Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above trees in the central Israeli village of Luzit on Aug. 12, 2016.Menahem Kahanam—AFP/Getty Images
“With December’s Geminids spoiled by a full moon, these Perseids will be the best shower of 2016,” astronomer Bob Berman said in a statement.
The Perseids have been watched for millennia, and were first observed by Chinese astronomers in 36 A.D.
The stream will go live on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST via the video above.
Slooh is a TIME partner. You can go to Slooh.com to join and watch this live broadcast, snap and share your own photos during the event, chat with audience members and interact with the hosts, and personally control Slooh’s telescopes.
