See the First Perseids as the Solar Eclipse Nears: The Night Sky This Week

From Aug. 3-9, early Perseid meteor activity begins and comet 10P/Tempel 2 makes a close pass worth watching.

Venus is nearing dichotomy and brightening, with Mars, Saturn and the Pleiades also in the evening sky.

The Perseids will build toward their peak later in August, making this a useful week to plan observations.

A total solar eclipse arrives on Aug. 12, visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain.