Can I see the Perseides Meteor shower from Las Vegas?

Question

*sigh* I wish I were in a less bright place during the meteor shower, but oh well. Do you think I can see anything from here? Even if it's just a little...

Answer 1

Meteor showers are not short-term events, they can last for days or even weeks.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs between July 17 and August 24, with the peak at 3:04 UTC on Aug 12. Most meteor showers have peaks that last at least a few nights.

As long as you are at a dark location away from bright lights, and you simply watch the sky (look towards the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, but meteors can be seen over the entire sky) you should see many meteors any night this week. The estimate of the number of meteors during the peak for the Perseids is around 60 per hour.

The best time to view any meteor shower is after local midnight.

The closest place for you is east - cross over the dam and keep going about 10 miles past it - there is a turnout on the right that is actually pretty dark.  The lights of Vegas still light up the western sky but its relatively dark to the north (which is where Perseus is) and you should see at least some meteors.

Answer 2

According to the site below (as at the time of writing using the page dated 15 August) the Perseids are now averaging 20 per hour and are difficult to see because of the near full moon.