The Perseids are the most well-known meteor shower of the year, occurring every August, and while these streaks of lights in the sky can be visible for several days, tonight is the best night to view them, says Jonathan Sabin of The Local Group of Deep Sky Observers. “This year is a good one because we have a new moon,” he says.

Meteor showers occur when the Earth encounters the track of debris left by long-orbit comets, he says. (In an amusing bit of trivia, the Perseid comet’s name is Comet Swift-Tuttle, but there’s no connection to our roads. The comet was discovered in 1862 by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle.) The Perseids, as with all meteor showers, are named after the point in the sky from where the meteor seems to be radiating, in this case, the constellation Perseus.

The best time to view the meteors will be between midnight and 5 a.m. when the Earth’s motion will take them into the stream. “It slams into the track, sort of like a car driving into a rainstorm,” Sabin says.

But even if objects are blocking some of your northeastern view, where the meteor show starts, no worries. Sabin says you’ll be able to look straight up and see it.  Because of tonight's new moon, if the skies are clear—which they should be—just find a dark place and lay on your back.

“Your best tool tonight is a chaise lounge,” he says.

And be patient. While the Perseids can reach rates up to 100 meteors an hour, 60 is the average, Sabin says, and they don’t occur on a timer. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness and watch for at least half an hour. And enjoy it—the next time we’ll see the Perseids during a new moon is in 2045.

If you were hoping to get a twofer tonight—the solar eclipse and the meteor shower—you’re out of luck. Only a few Northeastern and Midwestern states and Alaska will be able to view what will be a partial eclipse.

Download a stargazing app (Sabin likes SkySafari) to learn more. Happy stargazing!