August is known for hot weather, summer vacations and back to school but there is something else spectacular happening this weekend that you may not know about. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best  (if not the best) meteor showers of the year. The Perseid meteor shower happens annually but is known for being reliable and having plenty of shooting stars so you are more likely to see a bright flash or some that even look like fireworks.

While the peak time for viewing is technically Monday night into Tuesday there are two reasons this may not be the best time for viewing the night sky. First, the moon will be nearly full so bright moonlight will make it harder to see anything. Second, we are expecting our next round of showers and storms to move in Monday night into Tuesday so cloud cover may ruin the show.

You can still see plenty of star gazing this weekend though. Head out any early morning this weekend (Friday through Sunday) and look northeast to see some shooting stars. It's best to get away from the city lights and while you can see them any time after sunset the best time is from 3-5 am.

One of the best things about the Perseids is that you don't need special equipment to enjoy the light show. Don't worry because according to NASA, the Perseids don't pose a danger. They typically burn up about 50 miles away from the earth. So don't wait for the "peak" on Monday night. Set your alarms, get your coffee and head out  Friday, Saturday or Sunday night/morning and enjoy the show!