Perseid meteor shower peaks this week: How to catch a glimpse

MINNEAPOLIS -- The "best meteor shower" of the year - also known as the Perseid meteor shower - will be peaking Friday night.

While it'll be tougher to see this year compared to recent years, it's still worth checking out. Here's what you need to know.

The meteor shower peaks Friday night, but Thursday night may be the best bet for eastern Minnesota. A large slice of the center of the state may be more "dicey" for both days, but Friday looks to be ideal for those living in western Minnesota.

Skies are darkest between the end of twilight (just before 9 p.m.) and when the near-full moon rises at around 9:30 p.m.

"Keep in mind that, though, that half of the shooting stars will be below the horizon this early in the evening; Perseus, the constellation, will rise higher in the sky through the night, but so will the bright moon," Director of Meteorology Mike Augustyniak said.

The moon, unfortunately, will wash out all but the brightest fireballs this year, but Sky & Telescope magazine estimates you'll still be able to see about 25 fireballs per hour.

The Perseid meteor shower is so-named because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus.

It's considered the "best" meteor shower because it occurs during warm weather, and is the most-prolific meteor shower of the year, producing an average of 50-100 "shooting stars" per hour.