How to watch the Perseid meteor shower

Details: The shower should hit its peak the night of Aug. 11 into the early morning hours of Aug. 12.

• The crescent Moon should set early, leaving plenty of dark night sky for spotting meteors.
• If you can't get outside (or you have bad weather), NASA will air a livestream of the meteor shower showing views from its own cameras.

Where to watch: The best place to watch a meteor shower is anywhere away from artificial light with a wide view of the sky and very few clouds.

• Allow your eyes time to adjust to the dark and try not to look at phones. The bright, harsh light can ruin night vision.
• "The Perseids will appear as quick, small streaks of light: they get their name because they look like they’re coming from the direction of the constellation Perseus (near Aries and Taurus in the night sky)," NASA said in a blog post.

• Don't get too hung up on where in the sky the meteors are coming from, however. As long as you have a good view, you'll get a good show.

1 fun thing: The Perseids happen each summer when the Earth passes through the trail of dust left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.