Please note that this thread is about the Perseid meteor shower whose maximum was just before the middle of August 2010. You might still be interested in these postings, but the event has passed. Until next year, of course!

My article on the Perseids will fill you in on the basics.
Meteor Shower - The Perseids

But this post and further updates will let you see what's happening this week.

Good news! The Moon sets early so it won't wash out the dimmer meteors.

When is the best time to watch?

The International Meteor Organization expects the shower to peak late on Thursday August 12 through the early hours of Friday morning. But they advise that the previous and following nights should also provide a fair number of meteors. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama has been reporting fireballs (very bright meteors) for several days now.

You aren't likely to see much before about 11 at night your local time. The best viewing is usually midnight until it starts getting light.

Meteorwatch.org will be following the shower on Twitter from the 11th - 14th August. Find out more at The Great Twitter Meteorwatch

When I looked about half an hour ago, the Meteorwatch site had crashed. Check my latest posting for a live audio/video feed from the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Here is a little video from NASA that is a nice introduction to the Perseids.

What's up for August?

But remember the animations are speeded up and the pictures capture several meteors over a period of time.

Mona, thanks for sharing!

I amused myself by listening to meteors this afternoon, courtesy of Space Weather Radio.

The Air Force Space Surveillance Radar monitors the skies twenty-four hours a day and is able to detect satellites and meteors going overhead. Not only can the Air Force detect the radar echoes, but so can others with the right equipment. One such enthusiast provides a live feed to Space Weather Radio.

A 'ping' is a satellite, but meteor trails last longer and sound more like whistles. The web site includes a sound file so you know what to listen for.

I heard a meteor within a few minutes � that was late morning in Texas and afternoon where I am.

Since I'm used to cloudy skies, I rather liked the idea of being able to hear what I might not be able to see.

SpaceWeather.com reported increased early Perseid activity last night. For example, Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center said that an all-sky camera �captured two Perseid fireballs at the same time.�

And I was very excited last night to see one Perseid, and it was a beaut � small disk plus trail. I was incredibly lucky to see even one since there were quite a lot of clouds. That's usually deadly for good observing, as they don't - usually! - oblige by shooting into a clear space for you.

The Great Twitter Meteorwatch is underway. I've been looking at the site and the map is great.

Twitter Feed Meteor Map

I'm afraid that I have to report, sadly, that none of the reports are coming from me. Once again the sky here is completely overcast. (It's traditional for the Perseids.)

Tonight's the big night. European skywatchers are probably already having a look at the sky--I hope they don't see the same sort of cloud cover as I am!

It looks as though the Great Twitter Meteorwatch has crashed. However here is a live audio & video feed from NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Alabama. The audio is on now, but the camera won't be activated until it's dark.

Marshall Space Flight Center - live audio/video

The International Meteor Organization reports that some dark-sky observers were counting 80 Perseids an hour at the peak.

Some people will have another look tonight. Although the rate has dropped off, there should still be some to be seen for several more days.

This week, I saw one Perseid through patchy cloud and another night I saw a brilliant Jupiter through a break in the clouds. But for the last three nights all I've seen is clouds.

If you've also been afflicted with bad weather, you might want have a look at the photos sent into SpaceWeather.Com. Gallery of Perseid photos