Year's Best Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight In Illinois: How To Watch

ACROSS ILLINOIS — The Perseids — the king of the summer meteor showers — are expected to put on a dazzling show tonight, Aug. 12-13. While the Perseids have been running from July 17 and will continue through Aug. 24, tonight is the peak and up to 100 meteors per hour will be visible.

"The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights as seen from the Northern Hemisphere," the American Meteor Society (AMS) explained on their website.

The Perseids, produced by the comet Swift-Tuttle, radiate from the constellation Perseus, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky.

The best viewing times are after midnight. "Up to 100 meteors per hour will occur during the peak night," AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.

However, this year the moon is likely to play a role in the number of shooting stars able to be seen on the peak night. The nearly-full moon will be shining bright nearly all night long, making it difficult to see many of the dimmer meteors, said AccuWeather.

In years without moonlight, the Perseids are visible at much higher rates, and in outburst years, such as 2016, they can fly at a rate of 150-200 meteors an hour.

"Unfortunately, the moon will be very close to full on the night of the peak, which will wash out the fainter Perseids," NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com.

Still, don't skip this summer favorite."The Perseids are rich in fireballs, so you'll still see Perseids," Cooke said. "You just won't see the show you've seen on nights when the moon has not been around."

As far as the weather goes, it looks like viewing conditions will be impacted by clouds and some fog across most of Illinois, with strong thunderstorms likely hitting the Chicago area Monday night. However, it's worth taking a peek at the night sky (if your area is lightning-free, and it's safe to do so).

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Shooting stars will be most numerous on Monday night into Tuesday morning, but this is not the only time when stargazers can see some of the shower. If you miss the peak night, there will still be plenty of meteors after.

"The Perseids are most active after midnight through daybreak. However, there are so many meteors during this shower, don't hesitate to view during the evening," Samuhel said.

Tips on how to watch:

Find a dark, open sky. Be patient. It'll take your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and set aside at least an hour to view them. They can come in spurts, and there can be a lull between shooting stars. Bring along a blanket or reclining lawn chair and settle in to enjoy the show.

And though the meteor shower is most visible after midnight, sky watchers may see a sprinkling of meteors from mid-to-late evening.

A rare earth grazer — a long, slow, colorful meteor along the horizon — is also possible during the evening. According to Earthsky, Perseid earthgrazers occur before midnight because the radiant point of the shower is close to the horizon.