Meteor shower tonight (8/12)

Question

I live in southeaster new York and was wondering if anyone know what direction I should look at the sky tonight and at what time? Thanks!:)

Answer 1

Bring meteor soap for a meteor shower.  Very funny. No visualization comes to mind. Total blank. Thumbs up for that. I guess i can't have heard all the jokes.

The radiant is in Perseus, which is just under the big sideways W in the North.  Experts say look 45 degrees from that.  I say just look up and take in as much of the sky as you can.  A blanket or reclining chair helps.  Naked eye is best - since you'd really like to see the whole sky.  Glasses or contacts if you need them, of course.  They mostly zip by really quick.  So if someone says "ooo, there's one", and you weren't looking, you missed it.  Dress warm.  It may be August, but it's also night.  And, bring bug spray.  Just bringing it can mean you won't need it.

You might look up an observatory near you on the Clear Dark Sky Clock.  Click on the light pollution map just under the chart.  Use the color guide to find a dark location near you.

Answer 2

Watch out for the meteor soap.

Answer 3

The annual shower begins as a trickle in mid-July and will continue to spark a handful of shooting stars for several nights to come. But Earth passes through the densest part of the stream Aug. 12 at around 7 a.m. ET (1100 GMT). The moon will set around 1:30 a.m. local time (regardless of your location), leaving the sky dark for a few hours of optimal meteor watching across much of North America.