Perseid meteor shower
Perseid Power Enjoying the bright Moon's absence from early morning skies, observers around the world reported lovely displays during this year's Perseid meteor shower, which peaked August 11 and 12. This bright and colorful fireball meteor flashed through skies over Japan in the early morning hours of August 12. Ending at the upper right, the meteor's trail points down and to the left, back to the shower's radiant point between the constellations of Perseus and Cassiopeia, seen here just above the tower structure in the foreground. The Pleiades star cluster is also visible well below the meteor's trail.Perseid shower meteors can be traced to particles of dust from the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet dust impacts the atmosphere at speeds of around 60 kilometers per second. Katsuhiro Mouri & Shuji Kobaya

This week is the peak time for spectacular Perseid meteor showers, one of the northern hemisphere summer night sky's most spectacular attractions. But sadly, the spectacular event will have full moon for competition.

The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year's best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour - in years when the moon is out of the sky. However, 2011 is not a great year for the Perseids, because the moon is full on the expected peak date, reported earthsky.org.

The Perseids, caused by the earth making its annual transit through debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet will be visible at early morning hours, and not all night long.

Dark skies, and a place away from city lights glare are generally best suited conditions to view Perseid showers. But the full moon will obscure the view.

Astronomers expect that the night sky with the Meteor showers on August 12 and 13 will not show up its best, yet, larger streaks are likely to be visible.

Perseids are already visible since the first week of August and are building gradually to their peak. By the second week of August, the moon will begin interfering with the skies between midnight and dawn. On the mornings of August 12 and 13, you can still watch for some Perseid meteors to streak across this short summer night from midnight until dawn, said the report.