What causes a meteor shower?

One of nature's best celestial shows is coming back this month, but a full moon might steal the show.

NASA says the Perseids have a peak of 50 to 100 meteors per hour and are known for occasional fireballs — larger and longer-lasting "explosions of light and color" that come from larger comet fragments.

The Perseids are typically active from mid-July to September, but this year they peak from Friday night to Saturday morning (Aug. 12-13). The meteors are best viewed in the hours before dawn, but they can appear as early as 10 p.m.

One problem: The full moon is on Thursday. Its bright light can outshine meteors and make all but the brightest impossible to see.

"The show's gonna be a bit muted, but still, there's enough bright meteors that you can still see enough activity by just facing away from the moon," said American Meteor Society editor Robert Lunsford.

While the Perseid meteor shower is typically considered the best meteor shower of the year, NASA says this may not be the year to make a special trip to see the celestial show — but if you find yourself out under the night sky during the peak, try taking a look.