Perseids meteor shower may be a bust; skywatchers’ best bet is this week – NPR
A ritual of summer is gazing up at the night sky in the hopes of seeing meteors, also known as shooting stars, flash across the night sky. While the annual Perseid meteor shower usually gets the most attention, a better bet might be a couple of less-famous meteor showers that will peak on Tuesday night.
It’s summer and that means it’s shooting star time, but what should we do when the astronomical calendar aligns in ways that make it harder to see what is usually one of the best meteor showers of the year?
Don’t give up. Instead, get outside early. Days early.
Peak Perseid will happen August 12th, right around the full moon. All that light will make it hard to see the meteors.
That doesn’t mean there’s nothing else going on overhead, though. If you can, head out tomorrow night and look up.
…the moon will be only about 25% full this week, when two meteor showers known as the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids reach their peak on the night of July 29 going into July 30.
And mark your calendars for next year’s Perseids, which should be excellent.
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J.R. Johnson 
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