Perseid Meteor Shower begins Sunday night, August 11th

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The 2013 Perseid Meteor Shower is set to occur Sunday night, August 11th. In Milwaukee, we could see scattered showers and a few thunderstorms Sunday night -- making the Meteor Shower hard to view, unless clouds break up Sunday night.

According to Richard Talcott of Waukesha, who publishes Astronomy Magazine, the Perseid Meteor Shower is a popular one because of the high rate of meteors, bright meteors, and typically good weather in August.

This year, Talcott says the Perseid Shower is set to peak after the moon sets -- after 10:00 p.m.

Talcott says viewers in North America could see up to 80 meteors per hour.

Talcott says if it is cloudy on the 11th and 12th, meteors could be seen into the early morning hours of the 13th.

According to Space.com, since dawn doesn't break until around 4:30 a.m. local time that means there will be between five-and a-half to six hours of dark, moonless skies for the two best viewing nights for the Perseids.

Next year, a bright waning gibbous moon will flood the after-midnight night sky with its light and seriously hinder the Perseids, according to Space.com.

More information on the Perseid Meteor Shower via Astronomy.com and Space.com!