Perseids tonight (and still decent rates for another week)

Tonight is the peak of the famous Perseid Meteor shower, but the shower puts on a nice show from late September through August 24th, so don't despair if you can't be at a dark sight on a Wednesday night! If you want to see the most, get away from city lights, but if you can't get away tonight, just find the darkest place in your own yard or nearby, and face toward the darkest sky (or overhead). Time - the peak is 2 hours on either side of 1 a.m. Pacific - so from 11 p.m. - 3 a. m. is primo, but you should see some before 11, too. The radiant - Perseus, is in the NE sky beginning to rise after sunset, but it is not necessary to look NE - in fact if you look that way, you see meteors coming straight at you - meaning short streaks of light. Instead, look 90 degrees away and you'll see more meteors passing sideways -- with longer streaks -- flying past you instead of straight at you. (don't worry, by the time you see the streak of light, the meteoroid has burned up so nothing is really coming "at" you). Best Astronomy location in LA http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/socal_wanderer/night-sky/stargazing/8-pla… Next Sidewalk Astronomy is August 22 in Monrovia and August 21 and 22 in Glacier Point, Yosemite. Find out more about upcoming events on our website http://www.otastro.org/ Next Mojave Star Party is October 17th - details on the website above. My What's Up video about the Perseids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-R1tk775PI Follow observers worldwide as they report their Perseid counts to the International Meteor Organization. That's what I'm going to be doing tonight! http://www.imo.net/live/perseids2015/ Where in the world are Perseid observers reporting from: http://www.imo.net/live/perseids2015/#observers Jane -- Jane Houston Jones @jhjones @NASAInSight WhatÕs Up for August? Perseids + 12 planets http://go.nasa.gov/1hcjVbZ