On Tuesday night or Wednesday morning you will be able to witness a spectacular meteor shower.

Every year around Aug. 12 the Perseid meteor shower kicks off with a spectacular display of lights. It’s one of the best meteor showers of the year. The other one is the Geminid shower in December, and for some reason fewer folks go out camping in the dark for that one because of the cold weather.

There are some steps you can take to maximize the number of shooting stars you see. Find a dark location, away from city lights and even bright headlights. Consider driving to a park where there’s no background lighting.

Don’t bother with a telescope, or even binoculars. Meteors cover a wide expanse of sky, and finding them in binoculars takes more than the second or two you usually have available. It is true that the Perseids are slower than the average meteor, but even they will be visible for only three or four seconds at most.

A meteor looks like a sudden streak of light going across the sky in a couple seconds. Some Perseids will be bright, and some will be faint.

Happy Star Gazing!