As of August 7, 2012, the International Meteor Organization is reporting a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) for Perseid meteor shower of 16 meteors per hour (+ or – 2). That’s the highest for summer 2012, and it’s going to get higher still as the Perseid meteor shower moves toward its peak on the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. The full moon in early August interfered with this year’s northern summer meteor showers. But the moon is waning now. And clearly many people are seeing meteors! The Delta Aquarid and Perseid meteor showers combine in late July and August to create what most consider the best and most reliable meteor display for Northern Hemisphere observers. As always, after midnight is the best time for meteor-watching. The moon will be there, but getting thinner every morning. On the mornings (not the evenings) of August 11, 12 and 13, the moon will be a waning crescent, and the meteors should be flying at a rate closer to their peak of 50 or 60 meteors per hour. As an added treat – on August 11, 12 and 13 – the moon will be sweeping past the brightest planets Venus and Jupiter in the eastern predawn sky. You can’t ask for more!
