NOTE: The Perseids are over for 2012, but you may still find this thread interesting. And watch out for them in August 2013!

Some of you saw the Perseids last year. They're back soon. Predictions for the peak are always uncertain, but after midnight on August 10/11, 11/12 or even 12/13 should be good. Between midnight and the hours before dawn give the best viewing. This year any Moon will be only a crescent.

If you want to know more about meteor showers, here is my article Meteor Showers - The Perseids.

BTW the very first Perseids may be showing up any time now and you might catch some Delta Aquarids which are peaking this weekend.

Meteorwatch 2011 has made a video like a trailer for an adventure film for the Perseids 2011. It's very well done and quite imaginative. Have a look.

The Perseids 2011 trailer

PS The explosions are a bit of artistic license.

The Perseids can have some exceptional years. Last year we traveled for them, maybe saw two. Some years we have seen hundreds in an hour's time. I've got to see them during two different peaks, (over a 35-year span) one was in the dark moonless skies of Kansas in the early morning hours. It was beautiful! The Leonid meteor shower in November can also be pretty spectacular.

Although people with clear skies saw some meteors, it wasn't a spectacular shower this year.

However here is an interesting picture for you - a Perseid fireball (very bright meteor) taken by astronaut Ron Garan from the Interntional Space Station!

Perseid fireball from ISS

The bright white dot is Mars. The blue glow in the upper right is noctilucent clouds. They are part of a high cloud layer which we can't usually seee because it's too faint. But it's sometimes visible during the summer when the sun has just set. The line of faint glow is called airglow and it's due to reactions in the upper atmosphere - it's been detected in other planetary atmospheres.

It's nearly time for (usually) one of the year's best meteor showers and you don't have to freeze to watch it. I've removed outdated information from last year's thread and will be adding information and links as the time gets nearer.

I am thinking to host a shower party this year.

Jilly, what a great idea. I never see the Perseids, as every year for a few days around the peak it has, without fail, clouded over. Even when we'd had a sunny day, it clouded up for the evening. Grrr.

But in a place with more reliable skies, it would be great and it's much more fun to have friends to share it with. And it's all naked eye viewing, don't even need binoculars - in fact, they're a hindrance unless you want to look at other things while you're out. Have everybody bring a folding sunlounger or camping mattress so you can lie back and not strain your neck.

I like the camp chair/matress idea.

When is the peak?

If you aren't able to watch the Perseids in your area, you might want to joint Bill Cooke at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center which will have a live video and audio feed on the night of August 11-12 from 11 p.m. To 3 am EDT. NASA Perseids chat and live feed