If you have a clear sky tonight, go outside, kickback in a lawn chair, and watch the sky for a couple of hours. Only negative is that the moon is going to be pretty bright, and you will only be able to see the very brightest meteors. Moon sets later on though, so if you want, get up early about an hour or 2 before sunrise (yeah, right haha) for your best shot.
For more details read the article:
For more details read the article:
The well known Perseid meteor shower is predicted to peak on Friday night/Saturday morning August 12/13. This date is accurate for all areas of the world but the Far East, where observers in countries such as Japan may see similar rates on both the 12/13 and 13/14. Unfortunately the moon will be at its full phase and will be present in the sky the entire night. A full moon is so bright that the glare it produces will obscure all but the brighter meteors. Still, this display is so strong that one may see more activity with the moon present than on nearly all the other nights throughout the year, regardless of lunar conditions. The transparency of the atmosphere will play an important part in how much activity can be seen. Hazy and humid atmospheric conditions will spread the lunar glare and further reduce the meteor activity to be seen. Dry air is ideal so if you have the choice to view from mountain locations compared to lowlands, travel to the mountains!
An even more important factor in the number of meteors to be seen will be the time of night to attempt to observe. Most potential observers will attempt to view Perseid activity as soon as it becomes dark. At this time the moon will be low in the southeastern sky and the glare will not be as bad as it will be during the middle of the night. At this time of night though, the Perseid radiant, the area of the sky where the Perseid meteors seem to shoot from, will be located low in the northern sky and only a small fraction of the possible activity can be seen. The situation improves with each passing hour as the radiant rises higher into the northeastern sky. The best rates will be seen during the last dark hour before dawn when the radiant lies highest in the sky and the moon lies low in the southwestern sky.
The best strategy to use would be to view as late as possible on Friday night/Saturday morning August 12/13, no matter your location. Face a direction with the moon at your back or at least out of your field of view toward the darkest portion of the sky. This would be anywhere in the northern half of the sky. Use a chair or lounge chair so that you are comfortable. Standing will strain your neck and you will not be comfortable for long. Do not look straight up, rather aim you view approximately half way up in the sky making certain that no trees, hills, or buildings are blocking your view. Watch for at least 30 minutes as meteor activity appears in random groups. There will be periods when nothing at all is seen and then several meteors may appear within seconds of each other.
An even more important factor in the number of meteors to be seen will be the time of night to attempt to observe. Most potential observers will attempt to view Perseid activity as soon as it becomes dark. At this time the moon will be low in the southeastern sky and the glare will not be as bad as it will be during the middle of the night. At this time of night though, the Perseid radiant, the area of the sky where the Perseid meteors seem to shoot from, will be located low in the northern sky and only a small fraction of the possible activity can be seen. The situation improves with each passing hour as the radiant rises higher into the northeastern sky. The best rates will be seen during the last dark hour before dawn when the radiant lies highest in the sky and the moon lies low in the southwestern sky.
The best strategy to use would be to view as late as possible on Friday night/Saturday morning August 12/13, no matter your location. Face a direction with the moon at your back or at least out of your field of view toward the darkest portion of the sky. This would be anywhere in the northern half of the sky. Use a chair or lounge chair so that you are comfortable. Standing will strain your neck and you will not be comfortable for long. Do not look straight up, rather aim you view approximately half way up in the sky making certain that no trees, hills, or buildings are blocking your view. Watch for at least 30 minutes as meteor activity appears in random groups. There will be periods when nothing at all is seen and then several meteors may appear within seconds of each other.
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