Meteor shower watching is one of the few free activities you can do in and around Toronto, and makes for a unique and dazzling date night or extra special hangout with any loved ones.

For anyone hoping for a chance to stargaze this season, this coming weekend may just be your best bet, with not just one, but two different meteor showers due to light up the night sky with an awe-inspiring show.

Amazing places to go stargazing near #Toronto https://t.co/GVy93k08gh pic.twitter.com/Rexjc7TFNo

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 14, 2019

We are fortunately in the midst of the famed Perseids season, which runs from late July to a peak in mid-August. This meteor shower is one of the most productive and widely considered the best of the year, with viewers able to see up to 100 shooting stars per hour in the best conditions.

Those keeping a keen eye out will be able to see more and more meteors each night from now until August 13, and are advised to look up after midnight (though closest to dawn is best), preferably somewhere far away from light sources for the best visibility.

While the Perseids will slowly intensify over the next two weeks, this weekend is the prime time to see another natural wonder: the southern delta Aquariid shower, which will peak on July 29 and 30.

In the wee hours before sunrise on these two days, spectators should be able to spot a dozen or more meteors each hour, appearing as beautiful streaks and flashes of light.

This is how to watch the Perseid meteor shower from Toronto during its peak this week https://t.co/PXadGeSBbK #Toronto #MeteorShower pic.twitter.com/0KYnqLihNa

— blogTO (@blogTO) August 10, 2020

While the Aquariids come from debris around the celestial object 96 Machholz — a comet that gets closer to the sun than any other like it — the Perseids are a result of the planet moving through a cloud around the Swift–Tuttle Comet, and get their name from the Perseus constellation that they seem to hurtle from.

Along with picking a remote spot with the lowest light pollution possible, tips for the best stargazing include letting your eyes adjust to the dark, being patient and hoping for a dim moon and clear skies.