Today:
The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks every year near August 11th and 12th, as the Earth passes through the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle, with thousands of tiny pieces of dust and rock that burn up in our atmosphere 40 to 70 miles above us. The First Quarter Moon set this evening before midnight, offering dark, favorable skies, as they peak in the pre-dawn hours.
Monday:
The Perseid Meteor Shower continues this evening, though past its peak. Even so, it is thrilling to see even a few “shooting stars” etch their path through the stars. Meteors are almost always favored after midnight, because our spinning Earth turns into the direction we are orbiting. This increases the number of particles we run into along our orbit.
Tuesday:
The Moon is just past its First Quarter as it nuzzles up close to the reddish star Antares, the “heart” of the Scorpion, low in the south-southwest as twilight gives way to darkness from 8:45 to 9 o’clock. The pair slide lower into the southwest, setting after 11:00 PM.