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Lots of astronomical events are unpredictable the appearance of a bright comet, for instance. But several times each year you can plan ahead for one of nature's best sky shows: a meteor shower.
August 1213: The Perseids
The Perseid shower is a popular display because it offers up to 60 an hour under a summer sky. Showtime usually begins as soon as the radiant (near the Double Cluster in Perseus) clears the horizon, an hour or so before midnight. But not long afterward you'll have competition from a last-quarter Moon. The Perseids' parent comet is 109P/Swift-Tuttle
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Highlights - Meteor Showers in 2009
August 1213: The Perseids
The Perseid shower is a popular display because it offers up to 60 an hour under a summer sky. Showtime usually begins as soon as the radiant (near the Double Cluster in Perseus) clears the horizon, an hour or so before midnight. But not long afterward you'll have competition from a last-quarter Moon. The Perseids' parent comet is 109P/Swift-Tuttle
SkyandTelescope.com - Observing Highlights - Meteor Showers in 2009