MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The annual Perseid meteor shower is underway this week and peaks out this coming Saturday night into Sunday morning, said WCCO Radio Meteorologist Mike Lynch.

The Earth in its orbit around the sun is cutting into a trail of debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Most of this debris is the size of dust grains to pebbles that enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 44 miles per second.

(credit: CBS)

They’re best seen in the dark skies in the country side from a little after midnight to morning twilight. In dark skies during the peak Sunday morning you may see over 50 meteors or “shooting stars” an hour.