[at-l] Persieds

["David F. Addleton" <dfa@wimlaw.com>]

http://www.skypub.com/sights/meteors/meteors.shtml

Perseids (Aug. 8-15). This best-known meteor shower has a broad peak, and
it occurs at a pleasant time of the year for Northern Hemisphere observers.
With the Moon near new and out of the sky all night, 1999 should be a great
year for the Perseids. In recent years there have been two peaks about a
half day apart. The morning of August 13, 1999, should be the best time to
watch, but rates should remain high for a day or two on either side. A
single observer may see 50 to 100 meteors per hour under dark, rural skies
in the hours before dawn. Rates in the evening are much lower. Suburbanites
may expect closer to 25 to 40 meteors per hour even during the peak predawn
hours. Brief outbursts sometimes enhance these rates greatly. 

Have a peek at the Astronomy picture of the day at: 

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html



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