Plan on pulling an all-nighter this Thursday if you're looking to witness the biggest meteor shower of the year: the Perseids.
Lighting up the sky in mid-August every year, the Perseids occur as the Earth intersects with the trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle as debris from the latter impacts the Earth's atmosphere, creating shooting stars.
And this year, we're in for an extra treat.
Expect the Perseids to be even more special as the Earth will be crossing paths with both current and leftover debris from past orbits of the comet. Experts believe that Thursday's occurrence will contain materials from comet trails that originated in 1862, 1479 and 1079—effectively creating a nearly thousand-year-in-the-making meteor shower.
How can you witness this momentous event? Get ready for the meteor shower to hit late Thursday night into early Friday morning, before sunrise. Pick a viewing spot that's away from city lights and allows you to look onto a dark sky (this tool can help you find an ideal viewing location) and remember that your eyes will need about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Also make sure to have a pot of coffee nearby—you don't want to fall asleep just as the shooting stars take over our sky.