"The moon’s shadow will descend upon Earth on Wednesday, and some will bear witness to a total solar eclipse. But the universe won’t stop there: At night, nature’s fireworks will accent the sky as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. According to the American Meteor Society, the Perseids have been active since July 17 and will continue through Aug. 24. The shower crests Wednesday night into Thursday morning. And because solar eclipses occur during the new moon phase of the lunar cycle, there will be no moonlight to wash out views of the shower."