The best days to see meteor showers this summer

The Delta Aquariids is a summertime meteor shower known for being long-lasting and sporadic.

The meteors from this annual shower are most easily seen in the Southern Hemisphere, but patient watchers in the mid-northern latitudes can also get a glimpse of the show.

The Delta Aquariid shower officially began on July 12, but it lasts until Aug. 23. Keen eyes will be able to look to the south and spot anywhere between 10 and 20 meteors per hour.

This tweet from @earthskyscience will help you locate the point from which they seem to originate:

The best time to see meteors is between midnight and dawn on a night when the moon isn’t full, so the days leading up to and following the full moon on Aug. 2 and 3 are definitely out.

According to NASA, the nights between Aug. 11 and 13 will offer prime conditions for seeing some of the show, assuming the skies stay clear.

If you happen to be out any of those nights in mid-August, you may be lucky enough to see some bonus meteors from the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids should peak in the early morning hours of Aug. 11, 12 and 13, according to EarthSky.

To see the Perseids, simply turn around and look to the north for a possibility of viewing anywhere between 40 and 50 meteors per hour.

Regardless of which meteor shower you plan to watch, experts recommend finding a dark area away from city lights and giving yourself at least 30 minutes in the dark to allow your eyes to adjust.

Follow meteorologist Jason Meyers on Twitter, or watch one of his entertaining and educational YouTube videos.