Perseid meteor shower 2017: Date, Time, Live streaming of astronomical event

The Perseid meteor is a small piece of the periodic comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits around the Sun in every 133 years.

Perseid meteor shower, nasa, — An outburst of Perseid meteors lights up the sky in August 2009 in this time-lapse image. Stargazers expect a similar outburst during next week's Perseid meteor shower, which will be visible overnight on Aug. 11 and 12.NASA/JPL

Perseid meteor shower is going to occur this Saturday on August 12, 2017. This is believed to be the brightest meteor shower that will take place this year.

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Here are the top things to know about the Perseid meteor shower:

It will be taking place on the nights of August 11 and 12, when Earth will pass through the debris left behind by an ancient comet.
The Perseid meteor is a small piece of the periodic comet Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to complete an orbit around the Sun. Earth's atmosphere gets hit by the debris of the comet which disintegrates specks of light. These meteors seem to fly out of the constellation Perseus, hence they are called Perseids.
Earth is likely to have a close encounter with this meteor shower this year, according to a NASA statement.
"Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of Aug. 11-12," said Bill Cooke with NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville, Alabama. "Under perfect conditions, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour," Cooke added.
The best way to witness this astronomical activity is by viewing it between the midnight and dawn on the morning of August 12. A NASA statement advises allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark for 45 minutes for a better view.
There are chances that increased activity might be observed on August 12 and 13. You can have a good view by just looking straight up into the sky.
In case you face any hindrances in witnessing this event due to light pollution or cloudy sky, you can watch the live broadcast of the Perseid meteor shower via Ustream overnight on August 11-12 and August 12-13, beginning at 10 pm EDT (7:30 am IST).Here's another live stream link by the Virtual Telescope Project