The Perseid meteor shower is back, and this year the cosmos has apparently decided to roll out the red carpet for sky-watchers across the northern hemisphere. The celestial spectacle is set to peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, coinciding with a total solar eclipse visible over Spain, Iceland, and Greenland, plus a six-planet parade - because why not pile on the astronomical drama? Just note: the best time to catch the fireballs is after the eclipse's totality, so don't rush to pack up your telescope.

Under ideal conditions, NASA says you could see anywhere from 50 to 100 meteors per hour. The American Meteor Society, ever the pragmatists, estimates a more modest 30 to 50 meteors per hour from rural US locations. That's still a pretty good show, especially considering that on any given night, you might see a stray meteor or two if you're lucky. Meteor showers are Earth's way of plowing through debris trails left by comets (and sometimes asteroids), which slam into our atmosphere at breakneck speeds, creating those pretty streaks we call shooting stars.

The Perseids, specifically, are debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, an icy wanderer that takes 133 years to orbit the sun and won't be back until 2125. So, this is your chance - unless you're planning on living another century. Humans have been watching this particular shower for over 2,000 years, so it's got a solid track record.

Why are the Perseids such a crowd-pleaser? They tend to produce brilliant fireballs, and - crucially - they happen in summer. As astronomer Zach Vanderbosch of McDonald Observatory in Texas put it, "We don't have to suffer through a cold winter night to get a good view of meteors." True, though we might still suffer through mosquitoes.

Even better, the moon will be in its new moon phase during the peak, which means no pesky moonlight washing out the show. Astronomer Aparna Venkatesan from the University of San Francisco called the moon "such a diva," saying, "New moon means we don't have moonlight flooding the sky, and you tend to see way more meteors as a result." So, the moon is taking a night off, and we all benefit.

To catch the meteors, head outside after dark, ideally away from clouds and city lights. Venkatesan is planning a trip to the Sierra Nevada - we assume she's not bringing the diva moon along. The best views will be between midnight and dawn, when the constellation Perseus is high in the northern sky, and the meteors will appear to radiate from there.

Once you're out there, give your eyes about half an hour to adjust to the darkness. Vanderbosch recommends picking a patch of sky and staring at it until a quick, bright streak passes by - even if it's just in your peripheral vision. And whatever you do, avoid looking at your phone. "There's just something magical about it," he said. Yes, magic, not the blue light from your screen.