On these hot summer nights if you’re looking for something new and unique to do, why not throw a star party! Gather your friends, blankets and some music and head to the nearest field for a starry night.

Not only can you go stargazing almost every night and see a beautiful sky, but also there are a few special days coming up within the next few weeks where you can watch meteor showers. If you look carefully when you’re out lying in the grass, you’ll be able to see bright lines shooting across the sky.

For those who don’t know, the close distance between a comet and the Sun causes a meteor shower. A comet, an object made of ice and dust, orbits the Sun like the planets do. When it gets closer, some of the icy surface crystals boil off and release particles of dust and rock. Eventually the Earth will cross paths with the comet debris, and as a result the debris will enter the atmosphere as a meteoroid. When Earth runs into many meteoroids, it is called a meteor shower.

So, when are the meteor showers?

Delta Aquarids (June 21st-August 23rd)

The peak of this meteor shower is around July 27-30, and prime-viewing time is about an hour or two before dawn. You will be able to see it if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere.

Perseids (July 13th-August 26th)

The peak of this very popular meteor shower will be after midnight during August 12-13. It can be best seen in the Northern Hemisphere and Mid-Southern latitudes. This year might also be a little different, because it is hypothesized that rather than seeing 80 meteors per hour, it might reach 150-200 per hour.

There are many more meteor showers in the fall and winter, but these are the most popular, brightest ones that you can easily see. So just grab a blanket and enjoy the warm summer air while you watch space dust fall across the sky. Just remember to be patient and look carefully. Good luck and have fun!