Annual Perseid Meteor Shower to Peak August 12th.
The annual Perseid meteor shower, normally one of the better meteor showers of the year, will reach it's peak on the 12th of August . This year's shower may be a little better than they were the last couple of years, with a meteor streaking across the sky at a peak rate of perhaps one or two a minute, on average.
As usual, the best viewing times will be primarily after midnight, though some may be seen in the mid to late evening hours. To maximize viewing opportunities, you want to have as dark of a sky as possible, in order to see the fainter meteors. The further away from other light sources, such as city lights, the better. Look primarily in the eastern sky. Do not use binoculars or telescopes, as they will limit your field of view too much. Many enjoy just sitting back in a lawn chair and scanning the eastern sky. One nice thing about the Perseids is that it occurs at this time of year, when the air is still relatively warm at night.
More information on this year's Perseid meteor shower can be found here: science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/22jul_perseiddawn.htm
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