Explanation:
Dark skies
are favored for viewing meteor showers --
so many are pessimistic about this year's Perseids.
While the Perseid
meteor shower is scheduled to peak this weekend,
bright light from an
almost full Moon will also
flood the night and mask the
majority of relatively faint meteors.
Still, skygazing in the evening
before the Moon rises (before about
10 PM local time) could reveal spectacular
earthgrazing meteors.
Persisting even later into the moonlit night
can reward northern hemisphere watchers looking
for occasional Perseid fireballs.
In fact, astronomer Jimmy Westlake imaged this bright
Perseid meteor despite the combination
of moonlight and
auroral glow over Colorado skies in August of 2000.
