WASHINGTON (AP) — The Perseids are back to dazzle the sky with bursts of light and color.
The annual meteor shower, active since July, peaks before dawn Monday. It's one of the brightest and most easily viewed showers of the year, producing "bright blue meteors — and lots of them," said University of Warwick astronomer Don Pollacco.
More than 50 meteors per hour are expected, according to the American Meteor Society. The shower lasts through Sept. 1.
Here's what to know about the Perseids and other meteor showers.
FILE PHOTO: Perseid meteor shower is observed over the Lick Observatory at Mount Hamilton in California, United States on August 13, 2023. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
What is a meteor shower?
Multiple meteor showers occur annually and you don't need special equipment to see them.
Most meteor showers originate from the debris of comets. The source of the Perseids is the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.
When rocks from space enter Earth's atmosphere, the resistance from the air makes them very hot. This causes the air to glow around them and briefly leaves a fiery tail behind them — the end of a "shooting star."
The glowing pockets of air around fast-moving space rocks, ranging from the size of a dust particle to a boulder, may be visible in the night sky.
The Perseids result from "bigger particles than a lot of other showers," said NASA's Bill Cooke, giving them the appearance of "bright fireballs" — easier to spot than many others.
FILE PHOTO: Annual perseid meteor seen in the sky on August 14, 2023, in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteors are called the Perseids because they appear from the general direction of the constellation Perseus and, in more modern times, have a radiant bordering on Cassiopeia and Camelopardalis. (Photo by Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
How to view a meteor shower
Meteor showers are usually most visible between midnight and predawn hours.
It's easier to see shooting stars under dark skies, away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest.
The Northern Hemisphere will have the best view of the Perseids. This year's peak coincides with a moon around 44% full.
FILE PHOTO: The Perseid meteor shower is seen above the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, Hubei Province, China, August 13, 2023. (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
When is the next meteor shower?
The meteor society keeps a list of upcoming large meteor showers, including the peak viewing days and moonlight conditions.
The next major meteor shower will be the Orionids, peaking in mid-October.