Check out the Perseid meteor shower tonight
Look, up in the sky! It’s the annual Perseid meteor shower — and it’s a great excuse to stay up into the wee hours and just look up and watch the show.
[Click the image above to see a slideshow of photos from past Perseid showers.]
Find a dark spot for optimal viewing; read “See the Perseid meteor shower in Southern California” for our picks. Over at L.A. Now, Veronique has the scoop on the science behind the Perseids peak performance.
Here’s what the online Griffith Observatory’s Sky Report is predicting for tonight:
“The most eagerly anticipated event this week is the annual Perseid meteor shower – the summer’s finest. This year the shower’s maximum is expected during the dark hours between the evening of Monday, Aug. 11, and dawn of Tuesday, Aug. 12. The best time to watch is from moonset, at 1:57 a.m., until dawn, at 4:45 a.m. PDT. The number of meteors that you can see depends on the quality of your observing conditions, and the greatest number, between one and two per minute, are only expected from wilderness sites free of urban light pollution. The best way to watch is by reclining in a sleeping bag (and coat) on a deck chair. Aim your gaze high overhead, in the east or northeast direction. Perseids can appear anywhere in the sky, but seem to come from the direction of the constellation Perseus, the superhero.”
– Mary Forgione, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo: Bryan Chan / Los Angeles Times]
30 Comments on “Check out the Perseid meteor shower tonight”
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August 11th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’ll be sure to stay up! i love meteor showers!
August 11th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
My girlfriend and i are looking forward to it as well! i hope to see some meteors!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
im sure to stay up also!!!! im so excited!!!!!!!! i have never seen a meteor shower, and yayyyy!!!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
do I have to follow the constellation perseus to look for them? or do i look northeast the whole night?
August 11th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
A timezone would be helpful too..
August 11th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I really hope the sky will clear up a little more over here. Light pollution is pretty lame. This will definitely be a beautiful sight to see and ya can’t really afford to miss it. :]
August 11th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I was 13 in 1968 the first night I laid outside on a lawn chair for this. Guess I must do it again.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
@Nick: All times mentioned in this post are California or Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).
@may: Per the Griffith Observatory, your best bet is to look east and northeast, but my experience in past years has been that, with at least one meteor per minute visible in optimal conditions, you see them all over the place, if you’re in a nice, dark spot.
Enjoy and reply tomorrow with your reports and Your Scene photo uploads.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Its cloudy here :(
August 11th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I’m glad I live on a farm , I used to live in Edmonton and it kinda sucked with all the city lights. I’m gonna get cozied up with a blanket outside and watch shortly!!
I already seen two outside!
August 11th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I watched and didn’t stay out too long (scary woods!) but I managed to see five before I headed inside!
August 11th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I went outside to look at it and what can I say it is magical. I keep going outside and staring straight up at the sky. I made a dozen wishes already. I hope one comes true lol. The sky is so clear it looks like the stars are right in front of me.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Omaha, NE
As usual - Clouds…
Looks like everyone from about CO west has a good chance though.
Enjoy the show.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:37 am
I’m across the river from philadelphia, I watched from 3:00 to 3:30 and I counted 15 too much light pollution.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:05 am
It’s foggy with lots of the typical light pollution to the north and east here in Silver Lake, 5 miles northwest of Downtown LA. All’s clear to the west, however, so we’re holding out hope for a good show.
Enjoy, and please note your location in your comments.
August 12th, 2008 at 1:31 am
light pollution in arcadia has reached its maximum ;(
August 12th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Man… only if i was in the desert right now.
I hate my life, bye.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I saw two, exactly north east- which is pretty good considering that I live in the suburbs of LA (SG valley) 2 in about 30 minutes of watching.
August 12th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Didn’t see anything out here in la puente
August 12th, 2008 at 4:05 am
West Oakland, light pollution + cloudy sky = no luck ;(
August 12th, 2008 at 7:26 am
I was out from 2-2:30 and spotted 6, 2 of which were what I consider significant. (one you see out of the corner of your eye and have time to look at and still see)4 of them were in the NE two were in NW
August 12th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Auburn WA. Stayed up way too late for
what was a disappointment of a show.
Yes I seen a few, but not enough to justify the wee hours of the AM and the dragging at the office today. Maybe next shower I will have the following day off.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:34 am
I live near Yosemite National Park in Oakhurst, California. I went outside for minute about 2:00 am and saw several “shooting stars.” So my daughter and I drove 10 minutes to Bass Lake and sat on the beach for better viewing. We were not disappointed, it was like, “oh look”, and “there’s another one” every 5-10 seconds. Awesome!
August 12th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Everett, WA. I am headed out this evening to check it out. I hope the sky clears up.
August 11th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I cant wait to see them. I usually go to sleep at 5am so i have no problem staying up because the metor shower is my regular hours! :D
August 11th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
beatrice, ne - no clouds here and have been able to see 2 awesome falling stars! hoping to see more!
August 11th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Mid-Missouri. have seen probably 9 to l0 in last hour. Sporadic but beautiful. Some are so long and bright. Moon is really bright tonight and hard to find a good dark spot to sit.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Too bad, it’s too cloudy tonight - right now, anyway. :(
August 12th, 2009 at 1:10 am
I’m in Spokane, WA. Too bad, it’s too cloudy tonight - right now, anyway. :(
August 12th, 2009 at 10:32 am
i live in easthampton and im going to have a thunder storm how am i going to see the meteor shower