PERSEID METEOR SHOWER TO LIGHT UP THE NIGHT SKIES

In 2016, Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of 11th of August and early morning hours of 12th of August. This year, astronomers are predicting an even more spectacular shower than the usual. There will be an “outburst”, which means the Peseids will appear at double the usual rates. Instead of 100 streaking meteors per hour, spectators will see about 200 meteors per hour lighting up the night sky during the time of maximum activity.

It's the first such outburst since 2009, NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke said.

The Perseid meteor shower happens every August. The Perseid meteors occur when the Earth ploughs into debris left behind from comet Swift-Tuttle. It passes through our solar system once every 130 years and last reached closest approach to the sun in 1992.

Scientists hope to capture the action with a new instrument at the International Space Station a U.S.-Japanese experiment named Meteor.