Meteor showers like the Perseids often gradually increase in intensity and then peak, before rapidly falling off. In other words, the curve is not symmetrical, and now is the time to start looking.

What makes the Perseids great is the quantity of meteors, their showy quality and the August summer nights when you can view them. But this year, there's a caveat.

Two meteor showers —the Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids — reach their peaks this week. Here’s how to observe these celestial events.