Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

But timing is lousy for North America on Saturday

(NEWSER) - It's like a space tease: The normally tame Draconid meteor shower is expected to be unusually intense on Saturday, but viewers in North America look to be largely out of luck. As of now, the shower is expected to peak in daylight hours from 3 to 5pm ET, though a NASA forecaster suggests looking skyward during the evening in case the timing is off, reports AP . (Europe may not have much better viewing because of a full moon.) More»

Annual Perseid shower should be dazzling

(NEWSER) - Your local weather permitting, the annual Perseid meteor shower should light up the skies in the wee hours tonight, reports the Christian Science Monitor . The usual caveats apply—like the further you can get from the lights of the big city, the better your show. Best bet is to start checking after midnight, but for specifics, the CSM points to this nifty tool from NASA in which you can plug in the biggest nearby city for peak viewing times. And if you miss tonight, try again tomorrow night. More»

Best viewing hours after 1:30 am moonset

(NEWSER) - Earth will plow into the heart of the Perseid meteor stream tonight and give star-gazers a spectacle, Space.com reports. We'll hit the stream's densest part at 7 am EST, but best viewing hours may be after 1:30 am local time—when the moon sets and gives viewers a darker sky. Ideal spots to watch the Swift-Tuttle comet debris are rural areas far from ambient light. More»

Geminids will benefit from a moonless night

(NEWSER) - This week's incarnation of the annual Geminid meteor shower should be particularly awe-inspiring, reports National Geographic, because it coincides with dark, moonless sky for the first time since 1996. Skywatchers can expect at least 110 meteors per minute, with the best viewing on Thursday and Friday. The peak will be on Friday at 11:45pm EST. More»

(NEWSER) - Comet debris will light up the sky tomorrow night and Monday morning with shooting stars as Earth passes through the Perseid meteor shower. For the best view, pick a dark spot away from city lights and look east, says the Discovery Channel. "It's going to be a great show," a NASA expert advises. The showers will start around 9 PM EDT tomorrow night and peak at 2 AM Monday morning. More»