Can anyone see the meteor shower?

Question

i'm in Maryland and can't see squat.it's really clear but i'm really tired.how long before we can see it?

also,i can never remember if starts twinkle or planets twinkle so which is it?

thanks a million !

Answer 1

Stars twinkle and planets don't.  If you are away from the city lights, you should be able to watch the Perseids meteor shower.  You may be able to see a few now, but the moon sets at 1:52 AM.  Then you should start seeing 2 or 3 a minute.  They come from the direction of Perseus in the northeastern part of the sky.  They should continue that way until dawn.  So, you should be able to start seeing them when the moon sets, about 30 minutes from now for you.

Answer 2

Everything viewed through Earth's atmosphere is distorted by fluctuations in atmospheric density.  Both planets and stars twinkle.