Perseids peak (very, very early) Tuesday

Long, long ago (thousands of years) and far, far away (comet Swift-Tuttle, as it raced through space in orbit around Uranus) shards of debris that stretch along the path of the comet's tail ignited in the summer night sky to give earthlings the remarkable light show known as the Perseid meteor shower. The peak of this year's celestial visit should hit at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, when it's possible to see a meteor per minute.

Though much of the space dust in the cloud is 1,000 years old, a newer stream, generated by the comet in the 1860s, accounts for most of the meteors we now see. The annual event, named for the point in space where it seems to originate -- the constellation Perseus -- is one of the year's most spectacular. Find a flat spot in a really dark place and, weather and moonlight willing, you can see up to 60 meteors per hour at the shower's peak.

So how do you find a dark spot in this flood-lighted city? So glad you asked. Hugo Martin has put together a little list of great SoCal viewing spots in our travel blog. (And yes, that's an actual photo shot during the Perseids in Joshua Tree in 2005.)

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Wally Pacholka / astropics.com

Comments

[Andrew, Sr. Producer LA Times Travel]

Passing on a good tip: Check you local moonset timing for optimal viewing.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php

According to the Griffith Observatory, "The best time to watch [in Los Angles] is from moonset, at 1:57 a.m., until dawn, at 4:45 a.m."