Perseid Meteor Shower Peaked With 100 Meteors An Hour

Last night brought a grand celestial show for those who were in regions with agreeable weather. The Perseid meteor shower was complemented by a lack of intrusive moonlight, and as a result many got a solid look at the meteors as they blazed by. The shower started in earnest earlier this week and increased over a couple days to hit its peak last night. Very early this morning was arguably the best time to have watched the shower, but it you go out tonight you'll still be able to catch the stragglers.

According to NASA's list of meteor showers, the Perseids this year are active from July 13 to August 26, but the peak of the activity happened yesterday and today. There were up to 100 meteors per hour, and the lack of moonlight meant viewers were able to clearly see the meteors shooting by. They travel at about 37 miles per second.

The next meteor shower in the pipeline with be the Orionids, which will be active starting October 4 and running through mid-November — that one will peak on October 21 and October 22, but won't be as notable as the Perseids, averaging 20 meteors every house (and they will fly by a little bit faster).

If you didn't get out to witness the event's peak last night, don't fret — you'll still be able to see the shower up until August 24, though the upcoming moon event will detract from the experience soon. In addition, the number of meteors you see will continue to decrease every night. NASA says to look toward the Perseus and Cassiopeia constellations for the best shot at seeing them.