Perseid Meteor Shower

Circle this date: Friday, August 12th. Next to the circle write "before sunrise" and "Meteors!"

From spaceweather.com website: The Perseid meteor shower is underway. The shower's broad peak extends from August 11th through 13th--but August 12th is best. If you get away from bright city lights and watch the sky between local midnight and dawn on Friday morning, August 12th, you can expect to see dozens to hundreds of meteors. Check out the full story: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/22jul_perseids2005.htm

From CNN.com website: The Perseid meteor shower, an event that comes around every August in the late-night sky, is upon us again. Lasting for more than a week, the celestial show is forecast to peak on August 12, when astronomers say meteors should streak through the dark every two minutes or so.

That's not as bright a display as in years past -- the quarter moon may be too brilliant for some meteors to stand out, astronomers caution -- but that doesn't mean stargazers will be wasting their time.
"That's still a wonderful meteor shower and I recommend trying to see it," said George Lebo, an astronomy professor who is a visiting faculty member this summer at the NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
August 12 should be the zero hour for best watching, Lebo said in a news release from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. "No matter where you live, the best time to watch will between local midnight and dawn."

The Perseids, which have varied in intensity and frequency over the years, are bits of space dust that enter the Earth's atmosphere at 132,000 mph, creating eye-popping streaks of light in the night sky.
They originate from the tail of the comet Swift-Tuttle, a heavenly visitor that hurtles past our sun every 135 years, leaving a new trail of debris in its wake. The Earth, revolving around the sun, routinely approaches the celestial flotsam and jetsam every July. Astronomers note an increase in meteor activity almost immediately.

Crossing my fingers that the RAIN and THUNDER pass quickly and the skys clear so we can go out and watch the meteor shower!