Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Predawn Wednesday

A Perseid meteor shower will be most visible before dawn on Wednesday, NBC News reports.

But the moon could cause the bright Perseids to appear washed out, according to NASA.

For optimal viewing, experts recommend going to the darkest possible location and leaning back to watch the sky directly above.

The meteors will peak Wednesday morning but will be visible on Tuesday and Thursday between midnight and dawn, according to NASA.

In order to see the meteors, look up and to the north. People located in southern latitudes should look toward the northeast to see more meteors.

In addition to the Perseids, viewers may see stray meteors from the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, NBC News reports.

The prime viewing time of early Wednesday is when Earth passes through the path of Comet Swift-Tuttle at the densest, dustiest area. During that time period, the greatest number of meteors can be viewed in the shortest amount of time.

Comet Swift-Tuttle is the largest object known to repeatedly pass by Earth, NBC News reports. With a nucleus totaling 16 miles wide, it last passed nearby Earth during an orbit around the sun in 1992. The next time it will come close to Earth is in the year 2126. When Earth passes through the dust and debris it leaves behind, the annual Perseid meteor shower takes place.

Meteor showers are pieces of comet debris heating up as they enter the atmosphere and burn up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 37 miles (59 km) per second.

The pieces of debris are called "meteoroids," in space. When they reach Earth's atmosphere, they're called "meteors." If a piece makes it all the way down to Earth without burning up, it becomes a "meteorite."

It is unlikely meteors in the Perseids will reach Earth because they are the size of a grain of sand, according to NBC News.

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