This year's Perseid meteor shower is supposed to be one of the most stunning in years, and the only thing better than seeing it yourself is capturing the perfect photo so you can see it again for years to come.

Think you're out of luck with just a smartphone? You're actually not.

Here are some of the best tips and tricks to shoot the Perseids:

But first, the when and where...

While the meteor shower runs from July 17 to Aug. 24, the peak is Wednesday night (Aug. 12) into the early hours of Thursday (Aug. 13). This coincides with the new moon, which means there will be no moonlight interference for this celestial show.

(MORE: One moon, two shows: the strangest sky day of 2026)

This brings us to our first tip — get away from the city lights.

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Light pollution can make it difficult to both view the meteors with your eyes as well as capture them on your phone.

Tips and tricks for taking pictures

Before you head out, make sure to grab a tripod because having your phone stable is key.

Next, you'll want to go to your camera's settings and select "night mode." Some phones even have a setting called "astro mode." Either of these will go a long way in helping you capture this celestial sight.

Now, if your phone lets you adjust settings individually, here's what you need:

• High ISO
• Low aperture
• Exposure length of 15-30 seconds

These settings help your camera capture more light while also properly capturing the meteors streaking across the night sky.

The final trick is in relation to how you actually take the photo.

You'll either want to set a camera timer or use a remote shutter release, which allows you to take pictures without touching your phone. This is to limit any shaking of your phone while its taking the photo.

Something you may have around your house that works is a pair of wired earbuds. If you press the "+" button on the volume control while in the camera app, this should trigger a photo being taken.

With all that in mind — go out and take pictures that will last you a lifetime! And drop them below, so we can enjoy them right along with you.

Caitlin Kaiser graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before starting her career as a digital meteorologist with weather.com.