Perseid Meteor Shower Peak 2013: How & Where to Watch Live August 11 - 13 [VIDEO]
August's annual Perseid Meteor Shower will occur Sunday and Monday, featuring potentially 70 meteors per hour each night.
The collection of shooting stars is projected to be visible from Aug. 11 - 13 and can easily be seen from Earth without any technological assistance.
The Perseids, as they are sometimes described, are named after the Perseus constellation, where the stars appear to come from. The constellation was named Perseus after a man of the same name from ancient Greek mythology who was thought to have been born out of a shower of heavenly gold.
As for how the Perseid Meteor Shower can be viewed, it is encouraged to be in as dark an area as possible, according to a Slate article published Friday. The further a person is from city lights or similarly brightly-lit areas the better for viewing.
Though the Perseus constellation is visible in the northeast, it is not necessary to be facing this direction to appreciate the meteor shower. However, the more sky that is visible the more likely it is for a person to take in the extent of the shower.
The shower will be most visible after midnight, locally, since it is halfway between dusk and dawn. This means that the stars will be more visible since the Earth is in the midst of spinning its axis towards the Sun.
Taking pictures and video of the meteors is easy since they are visible without any type of expensive equipment. Binoculars and telescopes are actually not encouraged since they only allow the person to examine one part of the sky. The more sky that is visible, the more likely the meteors can be seen.
Finally, it is encouraged to simply be in a relaxed position while viewing the shower.
Watch this timelapse footage of the Perseid Meteor Shower from 2012:
