I wanted to give you a few days notice on what could be a spectacular sky show peaking this coming Sunday and Monday nights. It's the annual mid-August return of the Perseid meteor shower.

At this time of year, earth's orbit through space takes it through a cloud of debris left in the wake of a comet named Swift-Tuttle. Most of these debris particles are no bigger than a grain of sand, but they're moving so fast that when they burn up in the earth's atmosphere, even a tiny speck can become a brilliant flash of light. The meteors appear to originate from the constellation Perseus - hence the name Perseids.

The best time to look for meteors will be when Perseus is highest in the sky, between 2am and dawn. Face northeast, and gaze upward. For best viewing, get as far away from city lights as you can. The moon will have already set, so moonlight won't be a problem. If the weather cooperates, you can expect to see dozens, maybe hundreds, of meteors per hour.