CHICAGO - The Perseid meteor shower—one of the year’s most anticipated celestial shows—is peaking Tuesday night, but Chicago-area stargazers may have to manage expectations.

What we know:

Each year at this time, the Earth passes through a debris field left by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. When those tiny particles hit the Earth’s atmosphere at about 134,000 mph, they vaporize, leaving behind a luminous trail.

Those are called the Perseid Meteors (pronounced PURR-see-id).

This year, the peak time will be late Tuesday night, but meteors can be seen for several days surrounding the peak time. From a totally dark (and I mean DARK sky location) 50-100 Perseids per hour are visible during the peak few hours.

Now, how about some reality? Nowhere in our viewing area do we have a truly dark s

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