Since I’m a spacenut, I wanted to invite yous to look up tonite and -if lucky and patient- see some really cool meteorites burn up in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Some are just small flashes, but others are bright orange and red and leave trails crossing half the sky. Last year I stayed for 3 ½ hrs and saw 85 Perseids.
The Perseids peak on the morning of August 12th, around 11h to 14h Universal Time, that's 4 to 7 a.m. PDT, for those of us in the West Coast. But wherever you're located, from midnight to dawn is the best time to watch. The moon will set around 1 a.m., so the sky will be dark after that. (If you go out right after dusk, you’ll still see some, but in lesser numbers.)
Perseids can flash into view anywhere in the sky, so watch the part of your sky that is darkest, usually that means straight above you. It also means that you need to be lying down, or use lawn or beach chair.
Find a spot with an open view of the sky, away from the city lights, put on warm clothes and bring along a sleeping bag (it does get cold, take my word for it!), a thermos with coffee or whatever is you choice, some snacks and enjoy the view & show!
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