All amateur astronomers should have their eyes trained on the night sky beginning next week. 

The Perseids is an annual meteor shower that usually provides some fantastic summer night sky viewing.

The peak of the shower, when you can see up to 80 shooting stars an hour, won't happen until August 13.

However, you should be able to see some shooting stars associated with the Perseids beginning Monday, July 23.

For the best chance of seeing some action in the sky here are some tips:

  • Obviously, a clear night is an important factor
  • A new moon is ideal. We will only be two days past the new moon when the peak shower activity is scheduled to take place on August 13.
  • Look to the north-east
  • Look about 30-40 degrees above the horizon

If you want some more information about the Perseids you can read all about them here. 

Good luck to all the sky-gazers out there. I've seen these before and they're truly spectacular.

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