Stargazers can look forward to a spectacular display tonight as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. According to NASA, this fireball event began last month and is expected to peak tonight and tomorrow, concluding on August 23.

The Perseids are best observed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours. However, viewers may catch glimpses of the colorful meteors as early as 10 p.m. NASA estimates that observers can see between 50 to 100 meteors per hour during the peak of the shower. These meteors travel at speeds of approximately 59 kilometers per second.

Each Perseid meteor is a fragment of the 26-kilometer-wide comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits near the sun every 133 years. The meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the debris left by the comet. As these tiny particles enter the atmosphere, they create bright streaks of light across the night sky.

This celestial event offers a unique opportunity for skywatchers to witness the beauty of the universe.