Stars above: Perseid meteor shower peaks mid-August

Skywatchers should get set for the best meteor shower of the year coming in August. The Perseids — is the cosmic old faithful — offering up a flurry of shooting stars across the late night skies. The shower’s peak performance is in the hours before dawn Aug. 13 but a trickle of meteors can be seen days before and after, even after nightfall.
Because the peak occurs on a moonless night this year, as many as 30 shooting stars may be visible from dark locations around the West Isl