The Perseid meteor shower, one of the year's most prominent astronomical events, reaches its peak Wednesday night into Thursday morning, offering skywatchers a prime opportunity to observe the phenomenon.
Under ideal conditions, as many as 50 to 100 meteors per hour may be visible, according to NASA, while the American Meteor Society estimates 30 to 50 meteors per hour from rural regions. A new moon coinciding with the peak promises optimal darkness for observation. The meteors, which appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, have been visible since late July.
The Perseids consist of debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years. Observations of the shower date back more than 2,000 years, making it one of humanity's longest-recorded celestial events.