'Best meteor shower of the year' peaks this week, but something else could steal the show

One of nature's best celestial shows is coming back this month, but a full moon might steal the show.

NASA says the Perseids have a peak of 50 to 100 meteors per hour and are known for occasional fireballs — larger and longer-lasting "explosions of light and color" that come from larger comet fragments.

The Perseids are typically active from mid-July to September, but this year they peak from Friday night to Saturday morning (Aug. 12-13). The meteors are best viewed in the hours before dawn, but they can appear as early as 10 p.m.

One problem: The full moon is on Thursday. Its bright light can outshine meteors and make all but the brightest impossible to see.

"The show's gonna be a bit muted, but still, there's enough bright meteors that you can still see enough activity by just facing away from the moon," said American Meteor Society editor Robert Lunsford.