According to the LA Times, “the Perseid meteor shower that will peak Thursday night and Friday morning is expected to be unusually bright and visible in the night sky this year because moonlight won’t be hampering the celestial show.” Video after the break.

The best time to watch will be from midnight to dawn, and the best place to watch will be any dark-sky spot you can find.

The president of the Astronomy Club of Tulsa says the clear skies insure a great view of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Tom McDonough says for best viewing get away from the city lights. Look to the northeast sky. McDonough says the prime time to see the streaks of light will be the very early morning hours on Friday. He expects to see several meteors an hour. Also McDonough points out telescopes and binoculars will be no help in the night watch. He says a meteor shower is best seen by the naked eye.

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Excitement is building for the Perseid aka Perseids Meteor Shower August 2010 for the 109P/Swift Tuttle comet, the constellation Perseus arriving within hours. Farmers across the U.S. are preparing as seasoned watchers, amateurs, and even entire families – armed with reclining chair, ground pads, and lots of patience – are packing up and heading to rural sections August 12 and 13 for the excitement.

But what U.S. citizens will see August 12 and 13 is like nothing else that will light up the sky this summer. As NASA tells local news this week, certain meteor showers return every year. But while for example Delta Aquarids has no peak between now and August 18, Perseids peaks August 12 and 13 producing roughly 50 meteors per hour, reports NASA to news. Viewers should expect a “Crescent moon … set early in the evening, allowing for dark skies all the way up until peak viewing just before dawn… The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most consistent performers and considered by many as 2010’s best shower. The meteors they produce are among the brightest of all meteor showers.”

Original  http://news.lalate.com/2010/08/11/perseid-meteor-shower-august-2010-excitement-builds/