How to view the Perseid meteor shower this weekend in Illinois

The annual and beloved Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak on Monday, Aug. 12.

At that time, over 60 "shooting stars" — a misnomer — could ideally be seen per hour in the night sky, conditions permitting. Unfortunately, Peoria-area conditions might not permit.

The National Weather Service office in Lincoln predicts overcast skies overnight on Aug. 11-12, with 70% cloud cover.

"Conditions look unfavorable" for viewing the meteor shower, said Mike Albano, a meteorologist with the Lincoln office. "Before midnight, maybe there's a chance," he said. After midnight, clouds are expected to increase, with a 20% chance for light rain. Temperatures overnight should range from 55 to 60 degrees.

Meteors occur when small rocky or metallic bits of debris burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, reports Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Meteor showers result when Earth passes through a trail of such debris, in this case from Comet Swift-Tuttle. (Though sometimes called “shooting stars,” meteors do not come from stars.)

Perseid pronunciation and definition

The Perseid — pronounced PER-see-id — meteor shower is named for the constellation Perseus, where the meteors appear to originate. The constellation was named for a hero of Greek mythology.

More: You can watch as two major meteor showers light up the night sky. Here's where to look.

How to view the Perseid meteor shower

The shower’s peak is expected to occur from 12:01 a.m. to dawn on Aug. 12, the planetarium said. In central Illinois, the best chance at peak viewing may be late on Aug. 11, given the forecast.

When does the meteor shower start?

This year's Perseid meteor shower actually began July 14 and will continue until Sept. 1, according to EarthSky.org , which lists the peak as Aug. 11, 12 and 13.

Where to look for Perseid meteor shower

The Adler Planetarium offers the following suggestions for meteor viewing:

• First, go outside and give your eyes about 20-30 minutes to adjust to the dark. (Avoid looking at your phone.)
• Look all around the sky — in particular, to the northeast — for streaks of light.
• You don’t need any special equipment, such as binoculars or a telescope, to see meteors.

One rule of thumb for meteor viewing is to be under a dark sky, with no glare from artificial or natural light, such as the moon. This year's peak will occur with the moon near its first quarter phase. After it sets around midnight, the moon won’t interfere with the Perseid meteors during their peak between midnight and dawn.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: How to view the Perseid meteor shower this weekend in Illinois