NASA: Best meteor shower of the year peaks Wednesday night

Minnesotans may be able to see the “most popular meteor shower of the year” on Wednesday, according to NASA.

The Perseids are active through Aug. 24, with the peak night on Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. NASA said viewers can expect about 50 to 100 meteors per hour.

Under dark skies, the meteors are best viewed during pre-dawn hours. It is also possible to see meteors as early as 10 p.m., according to NASA.

NASA said the Perseids are considered the best meteor shower of the year because the meteors are swift and bright. They often leave long “wakes” of light and color as they move through Earth’s atmosphere.

The meteors come from debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the sun once. NASA says the shower appears to ...