"The shower started approximately on July 20 and will last until August 20. The peak this year falls on August 12, when it will be possible to watch up to 100 meteors per hour falling at the speed of about 60 kph," Zheleznov said.
In recent years, the intensity of meteor showers has decreased significantly, he said. In the early 1990s, meteor showers sometimes seemed like meteor downpours, with meteors numbering more than 400 per hour.
"A meteor shower is best seen in the countryside because city lights do not interfere with observation," Zheleznov said.
People can observe meteor showers twice a year, the Perseids shower in August and the Leonids shower in November.
Meteor showers in August occur every year when the Earth passes through the tail of Swift-Tuttle Comet. Particles from the comet's tail enter the atmosphere and burn up, creating a "shooting star" effect. To observers on Earth, these "stars" appear to be coming from the constellation Perseus, after which the shower is named.
