The meteors are the debris from the tail of the Comet Swift-Tuttle which made its last pass near the earth in 1992 and will not make its next perihelion until July of 2126. This year there is expected to be enhanced rates of about 150 meteors per hour or so, however the increase will be cancelled out by the bright moon, which will wash out fainter Perseids. At that speed, even a smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light when it collides with Earth's atmosphere. "Comet Swift-Tuttle has a huge nucleus - about 26 km in diameter", said Cooke.
As for the Perseid meteor shower per se, they pose no direct threats to people back on Earth.
STEM educator Jeremy Benson will set up telescopes for night viewing and talk with guests about what they can expect to see and what causes a meteor shower. Their forecast was right, and at the shower's peak, some skywatchers saw over 200 meteors per hour!
The peak of the meteor shower happens to be on an evening when the moon will be three-quarters full, making it just a little bit more hard to see the meteors.
If you're from Detroit or another big city, we suggest you go outside of town!
What are the Perseid meteors?Rising at around 11 p.m. on Friday night, and around midnight on Saturday night, the Moon will present a source of light pollution in the sky, that will washed out numerous fainter meteors.
The weather is going to play a large role in this event, of course, as clear or cloudy skies will determine who will actually get to see the meteor shower.
The best way to see it would be to watch the sky from a wide, open space - away from trees and tall buildings.
The meteors will appear to come from the direction of the Perseus constellation in the north-eastern part of the sky, although they should be visible from any point.
If you get to a dark place, the shower is best viewed between midnight and 6 a.m.