Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight, with up to 100 shooting stars per hour

The Perseid meteor shower, one of summer's most spectacular celestial events, enters its prime viewing window starting Wednesday night.

This year's shower coincides with a period of minimal moonlight, creating ideal conditions for spotting even faint meteors.

According to the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, the calculated peak of this year's Perseid shower falls at noon Thursday — in the middle of the day in South Korea, making it impossible to observe the precise peak. Favorable viewing conditions will nonetheless stretch from Wednesday night through Thursday dawn, and again from Thursday night through Friday dawn.

Conditions are expected to be particularly good in the predawn hours of Thursday and Friday. A total solar eclipse occurring on the other side of the globe at the same time will keep the moon out of the sky, leaving darkness ideal for meteor watching.

NASA also identified Wednesday night through Thursday dawn as the primary viewing window for this year's Perseid shower.

The International Meteor Organization estimates the shower could produce up to about 100 meteors per hour at its peak. That figure, however, assumes ideal conditions — sufficiently dark surroundings and the radiant point directly overhead. Light pollution, cloud cover and viewing location will all reduce the number of meteors visible to the naked eye.

A "planet parade" will also grace the predawn sky Wednesday, with Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune all appearing above the horizon simultaneously. As seen from Seoul, Saturn and Neptune will already be up by nightfall, with Uranus and Mars rising later, followed by Mercury and Jupiter just before sunrise. Mars and Saturn are relatively easy to spot with the naked eye, while Uranus and Neptune require binoculars or a telescope.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs each year as Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Tiny particles collide with the atmosphere at high speed and burn up, leaving bright streaks across the night sky.

No telescope or binoculars are needed to enjoy the shower. The best approach is to find an open area away from city lights after the sky has fully darkened. NASA recommends facing northeast toward the rising constellation Perseus, but suggests scanning the broad sky rather than fixing on a single point, and allowing about 30 minutes for eyes to adjust to the darkness.