Perseid meteor shower begins tonight. Here are the viewing conditions in California

One of the year's most dazzling meteor showers begins Friday, promising fireballs and streaks of light across the night sky - if San Francisco's fog does not get in the way.

The Perseid meteor shower will run from July 17 to Aug. 24, so viewers will have plenty of chances to catch a glimpse. The meteor shower is expected to reach its peak overnight Aug. 12 into Aug. 13.

Skywatchers may get lucky along the coast early Friday evening, but fog will quickly increase. The summit of Mount Tamalpais could be in the clear late Friday, but clouds will probably obstruct visibility there Saturday night.

People should head inland for the best view of the meteors. Skies will be clearest just after sunset primarily east of the Caldecott Tunnel, but clouds are expected to push across much of the bay after midnight early Sunday and Monday mornings. High clouds associated with Tropical Storm Elida will increase early next week, further obscuring visibility of the Perseids.

The Perseid meteor shower can produce up to 75 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society. The meteors are especially concentrated because Earth is passing through the debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, and the space debris emits streaks of light as they fly across the night sky.

Viewers can locate the constellation Perseus, the meteor shower's namesake and from where the shooting stars appear to be falling from.

The meteor shower's peak Aug. 12 this year should be particularly good, as it will coincide with the new moon, creating darker skies that are ideal viewing conditions for the spectacle's high point.

For optimal viewing, city dwellers can head to areas away from light pollution, including Mount Diablo or around Lake Del Valle, south of Livermore.

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