The Perseids Meteor Shower is hitting its brightest point from August 12–13, and this one’s got the Canadian Space Agency calling it “the best meteor shower of the year.” If you’ve ever wanted to see up to 100 shooting stars an hour, now’s your chance.

Here’s everything you need to know before grabbing a blanket and heading out under the stars.

THE WHEN AND WHAT

The Perseids Meteor Shower happens every summer, but this year’s peak falls on Tuesday and Wednesday night—perfect timing for a chill summer evening under the sky. The phenomenon technically occurs from July 17 to August 23, but August 12 and 13 are the absolute best nights to catch it.

What makes Perseids such a big deal? For starters, they’re known for their bright, colourful streaks, and unlike many other showers, they’re easy to see without fancy gear—if you’re in the right spot.

According to NASA, these meteors can leave long glowing trails and are one of the most active showers, sometimes reaching 100 meteors per hour. Just make sure you’re outside during the pre-dawn hours (around 2–4am) for the clearest views.

THE WHERE

Anyone who has tried to look for constellations or any other space-related view will know all too well that they’re quite difficult to spot.

You can blame light pollution for that one. The brightness of city lights essentially causes a decrease in contrast between the night sky and stars, so that’s why you have trouble spotting any cool celestial happenings.

So, where should you go if you want to get the best viewing experience for the Perseids Meteor Shower? Well, anywhere outside of the city at a late time. 

You need to be far enough from any major light pollution in order to get the best look at the meteors. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) has some of their Vancouver Centre members’ places they head to when they want to look at the sky listed on their website.

• Aldergrove Regional Park
• Boundary Bay
• Campbell Valley Regional Park
• Cypress Mountain
• David Lam Park
• Hope Slide
• Spanish Banks
• Trottier Observatory at SFU

Source: 604NOW