Today is a Prime Time to Watch Perseids, the ‘Old Faithful’ of Meteor Showers

Written by Beth Dalbey: 

The Perseid meteor shower 2013 peak doesn't arrive until Aug. 11-12, but the show is already under way.  And The Weather Channel's forecast calls for mostly clear skies all week.

A favorite of stargazers, 2013 should be a spectacular year, with no pesky moonlight to wash out the streaks.

Want to know what to expect? Get an idea from this video of the Perseid meteor shower. Or check out these pictures of the Perseids.

How spectacular is the show? NASA says Perseid rates can get as high as 100 visible meteors per hour, with many of them appearing not just as bright streaks but as fireballs hurtling through the sky.

The Perseids are the offspring of the comet Swift-Tuttle. We see the meteors when the Earth passes through the comet's orbit and sweeps up some of this debris. We see shooting stars -- rapid streaks of light -- as the tiny rocks encounter the thin upper atmosphere of the Earth and the air is heated to incandescence.

You can see the shower anywhere in the sky, but look toward the southeastern sky to see the meteors at their brightest and longest.

This week in Johnston should be excellent for star gazing, according to AccuWeather's astronomy forecast.

For prime viewing locations, check this map of dark and light-polluted skies in Iowa.

As always, check for posted hours of public places before setting up shop.

Where do you watch in Johnston? Tell us in the comments below.