Perseid Meteor Shower 2016: Where and When the Shooting Stars Can Be Seen?

A spectacular meteor shower is scheduled this month. The Perseid Meteor Shower, one of the most renowned, is set to return this year on August 10. Here's everything there is to know about the Perseid Meteor Shower plus when and where to watch this amazing display of celestial lights.

According to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, the Perseid Meteor Shower 2016 will feature an "outburst" which could reach as high as 200 in an hour. The usual count goes from 60 to 100 meteors in an hour.

"Next, we move into the August Perseids, which is perhaps the most popular meteor shower of all," said Cooke for Space.com's summer meteor shower guide. "This year, they will be in what we call 'outburst' - their rates will double, because we're running into more material left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle."

Perseid meteors hail from the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 130 years. In addition, the meteors also come from one constellation called Perseus, also known as "radiant." It is located in the northeast.

So where can one see the Perseid Meteor Shower? The meteor shower peaks between August 9 to 13, but the outburst is anticipated from August 11 to 12. The best time to catch the shower is from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

The Perseid Meteor Shower is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, which is the point in the sky directly above where one is standing. For those in the United Kingdom, the best places to watch the meteor shower include Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, as well as Galloway Forest Park in Galloway, Southwest Scotland.

For those in the United States, hit one of Michigan's Dark Sky Preserves for a better view of the Perseid Meteor Shower. There are currently three parks designated as the dark sky preserves, namely the Thompson Harbor State Park, Negwegon State Park, and the Rockport State Recreation Area.