Perseid meteor shower to peak this week -- here’s what to know

Attention stargazers -- this is your week. This week, two celestial treats are lighting up, or rather dimming, the sky. First, we are heading to Iceland, where Wednesday afternoon the moon will slide between the Earth and the sun. In some parts of the world—like Greenland, Iceland, and Spain—the sun will be completely blocked. It’s a total eclipse, but not of the heart—just total darkness in the middle of the day. For Spain, this is the first time that has happened since 1905, so more than 120 years. Here in Michigan, we get a partial eclipse, but not really. Part of the sun will get covered, but Sault Ste. Marie will see about seven percent of the sun covered. Detroit, just three percent. Not huge, but still worth seeing. But what we’re really looking forward to is what happens the following night. That’s when the Perseid meteor shower peaks. Now, what’s a meteor shower? Well, every year, Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by a comet. Those tiny pieces hit our atmosphere, heat up, and light up the sky. Under perfect conditions, you could see up to a hundred meteors an hour, and the best part? You do not need a telescope. Buddy Stark, the planetarium manager at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, joined Local 4 Live to walk us all through it.