With no moonlight interference and about 70 meteors visible per hour, this year's Perseid meteor shower offers exceptional viewing conditions. The best time is from the evening of Aug. 12 until dawn on Aug. 13, with bright fireballs also possible. Those staying indoors can follow the Taipei Astronomical Museum's evening livestream.

Viewing chances improve after midnight. The radiant rises at about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, and meteor numbers will gradually increase until dawn on Aug. 13. As the moon is near its new phase, fainter meteors normally obscured by moonlight will be easier to see.

There is no need to face the radiant or use a telescope. Choose a safe location with little light pollution and a wide view, then scan a large area of sky with the naked eye. The Perseids are fast and often bright, with particularly luminous fireballs possible.

After the meteor shower, look west at dusk on Aug. 15 for Venus at its only greatest eastern elongation this year. Shining at magnitude -4.5, it will appear beside a slender crescent moon. Before dawn on Aug. 16, Mercury and Jupiter will pass about 0.5 degrees apart low in the east-northeastern sky.

The Taipei Astronomical Museum will livestream the shower from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Aug. 12 and explain meteor science. The peak zenithal hourly rate is estimated at 100, while observers may actually see about 70 meteors per hour under clear, dark and open skies. Livestream and August skywatching details are available on the museum's website.