The Perseid meteor shower is considered one of the best of the year. This year it was expected to peak from Aug. 12 into the morning of Aug. 13. But a full moon was threatening to wash out all but the brightest meteors, NASA said, and rates would probably only be 20 to 30 per hour at most, should the weather permits.

See breathtaking photos of Perseid meteor shower over the years.

An Alien intrusion on the cards
Conspiracy theorists all over the world perked up Friday when Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev joked that Russian leaders were in possession of secret files on aliens. REUTERS/Gerardo Garcia
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over Leeberg hill in Grossmugl
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over Leeberg hill in Grossmugl, some 30 km north of Vienna, August 12, 2010. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. This picture was taken using a long exposure. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over Stonehenge in Salisbury Plain, southern England August 12, 2010. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. Picture taken using a long exposure. REUTERS/Kieran Doherty
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over El Torcal nature park reserve in Antequera
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky over El Torcal nature park reserve in the southern Spanish town of Antequera, near Malaga, early August 13, 2010. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Picture taken using a long exposure. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky in Tecate in Baja California
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky in Tecate in Baja California August 12, 2010. The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Picture taken on August 12, using a long exposure. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes
Stars outnumber Leonid meteors lighting up the night sky of the desert near Amman, in the early hour..
Stars outnumber Leonid meteors lighting up the night sky of the desert near Amman, in the early hours of August 12, 2002 at the height of a meteor storm that was clearly visible to the naked eye in several parts of the Middle East and Asia. Meteors are the debris left in the wake of a passing comet infiltrating the Earth's atmosphere.The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when Earth passes through a stream of space grit left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji
A Perseid meteor streaks above the skies of Palm Beach Gardens
A Perseid meteor streaks above the skies of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida August 12, 2009. REUTERS/DOUG MURRAY
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