You might want to look up at the night sky this weekend.
The Perseid meteor shower is expected to peak the night of Sunday, Aug. 11 into the early morning of Monday, Aug. 12, according to the Planetary Society. At its peak, you'll be able to see roughly 50 meteors per hour in the right conditions.
What causes the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseids, which peak annually in mid-August, are considered the "most popular" meteor shower because they take place during the summer and are easily visible from the northern hemisphere, according to the American Meteor Society.
The meteor shower is caused by debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet. As the comet travels, it leaves a trail of debris, which the Earth passes through each time it rotates around the sun. While the meteor shower peaks in August, it's visible from mid-July until the start of September.
How to see Perseid meteors
To get the best view of the meteor shower, you'll want the sky to be as dark as possible. That means getting away from city lights, and waiting until later in the night when there isn't as much moonlight. Sunday night will have a half moon, which is expected to set around 11:20 p.m., according to Space.com. The website recommends watching the meteors sometime between 11 p.m. and dawn.
The meteors appear from near the Perseus constellation, which is visible from Washington above the horizon to the northeast. But since meteors streak through the sky, even if they originate from near Perseus, you can spot one across the night sky as well.
Will Washington see the Perseids?
Mostly clear skies are predicted throughout Washington this weekend, but before those clear skies make their appearance, there will be widespread haze throughout the state.
As of Thursday morning, the National Weather Service in Pendleton forecasts mostly clear and sunny weather with no chance of precipitation or storms in eastern Washington, including the Tri-cities area. The temperature on Sunday night leading into Monday morning, which is when it will be the best time to view the meteor shower, will be a low of 66 degrees.
Western Washington will also have mostly clear skies with a low of 60 degrees on Saturday night in Bellingham and a low of 56 degrees in southern Puget Sound around Tacoma and Olympia.
Where can you see meteor showers in Washington?
The website Light Pollution Map shows where exactly you can escape light pollution, but here are some other locations throughout Washington that are great for spotting meteors:
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