This week, stargazers are in for a special treat as one of the year's brightest meteor showers lights up the night sky.
The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Under dark and clear skies, viewers might see between 50 and 100 meteors every hour.
This year offers especially good viewing conditions. The moon will be in its new moon phase, which means the sky will be dark. Without bright moonlight, even smaller shooting stars will be easy to spot.
The Perseid meteors come from debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, an icy object that orbits the sun every 133 years. When Earth passes through this trail of space dust, the tiny pieces burn up in Earth's atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light across the sky.
Astronomers say the best time to watch is between midnight and dawn. To get the best view, go outside away from city lights. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark, and avoid looking at your mobile phone screen.