The Perseid meteor shower is coming. Here’s how to watch — and understand what you’re seeing

Minnesota Now

Clouds will cover much of the state Wednesday. With luck, they’ll clear in the evening so you can get a look at the night sky.

Each year around this time, the earth rotates through a trail of space debris. When these hunks of asteroids and comet particles burn up in our atmosphere, they give off the impression that stars are shooting across the sky.

It’s called the Perseid meteor shower and it is happening now — but it will peak Aug. 10-12. The darker the setting, the more brilliant the show. That’s why Voyageurs National Park on Minnesota’s northern border is a great place to watch the Perseids and other astronomical events.

Jesse Gates is a dark sky specialist with the Voyageurs Conservancy and he joined Minnesota Now to talk about what’s going on at the park and what makes it such an ideal place for stargazing.