Delta Aquarid meteor shower to light up night sky

The nights may be short, but with the weather warm it's a great time to check out some sky magic.

The Delta Aquarid meteor shower peaks Thursday and Friday. Though it's an average meteor shower compared to others throughout the year, you can still see up to 20 meteors per hour.

The best time to look up is between midnight and just before dawn. Gaze toward the southern sky for the best viewing. The moon is only a crescent, so its light won't disrupt the show.

This annual meteor shower is best for observers in the Southern Hemisphere, along with those in the more southerly regions of the Northern Hemisphere, according to Slooh.com, where you can also watch the shower.

The Delta Aquarid meteor shower takes its name from Delta Aquarii, a star in the constellation Aquarius, according to Sky and Telescope. The meteors fan out across the sky, but all appear to streak away from a point in central Aquarius called the radiant.

Delta Aquarid meteors are believed to come from the comet 96P Machholz, which was discovered in 1986.

Meteor showers are created when Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet. Bits of dust and debris from the remnants of the comet light up the sky when they enter and burn up in our atmosphere.

This event is just a warm-up act for one of the main meteor showers of the year; the Perseids, which peak August 11, 12 and 13, and are known as the best summer meteor shower, with 50 or more meteors per hour.

Contributing: Ben Dery, KING-TV, Seattle