This weekend is peak for the most popular annual meteor shower among Earthlings.

The Perseid meteor shower is at its most dazzling on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

This year, light from the full moon will outshine faint fireballs, but the North State offers some excellent dark places to view brighter ones — visible as our planet passes through debris left from Comet Swift-Tuttle.

It will be another century before Swift-Tuttle nears Earth again — the comet orbits the sun every 133 years — but we can watch specks of dust left in its wake burn up as they hit Earth’s atmosphere, according to NASA.

You can glimpse these "falling stars" any night through Aug. 22. You might see a few later in the month, too, before Earth passes completely out of Swift-Tuttle's debris trail on Sept. 1.

The Perseids are visible at night in places away from light pollution with a good view of the northern sky. 

Best places to watch include North State parks, but most parks close at dusk, so check hours before you go.

Where can you see the Perseids?:A visual guide to every meteor shower in 2022

Meteor watchers, astrophotographers and park staff offered their picks for places where people can get best views.

Lassen Volcanic National Park has some of the best unobstructed stargazing spots in the North State. 

Most North State temperatures are warm or hot during the day, but the wilderness can get chilly at night, especially at higher altitudes. Coldest times are usually just before dawn.

Bring a jacket or blanket if you plan to watch the meteors from high altitudes, and wear comfortable footwear or hiking boots.

Bring a compass or download a compass app to find Magnetic North. The Perseid meteor shower is concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere.

Some stargazers recommended people bring binoculars. These limit your field of vision, but they help you see a fireball in their visual range.

Here are important things to do before you go according to the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Transportation, the Park Service and other government agencies.

Several features make the Perseids a no-miss compared to other annual meteor showers, NASA said:

To read more about the Perseids, go to NASA's website at go.nasa.gov/3QkLDEn.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.