Tonight – August 10, 2016 – it’s time to watch the Perseid meteor shower. The moon is out of the way in the predawn hours, when the meteors are normally flying most abundantly! Which dates are best? We recommend watching all three mornings around the peak – the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. On the night of August 11-12, 2016 – evening of August 11 and morning of August 12 – you might be on the right part of Earth to experience a Perseid meteor outburst of perhaps 200 meteors per hour. The tips below can help you enjoy.

1. Should you watch only during the time of the possible outburst?

2. Watch between midnight and dawn.

3. Avoid city lights.

4. Watch with friend or friends.

5. Try observing in the evening hours.

6. Sprawl out in a moon shadow

7. Notice the speed and colors of the meteors.

8. Watch for meteor trains.

9. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere … watch!

10. On the eve of the Perseid shower, will you see Mars and Saturn?

Should you watch only during the time of the possible outburst? Short answer: no.

No one knows who on Earth (if anyone) might see the anticipated Perseid outburst. These predictions are based on models of meteor streams in space, and the models vary a bit from scientist to scientist. That’s why – although the outburst is generally expected to take place during the night of August 11-12 – no one can say with any certainty if or when the outburst will take place.

What to do? Get outside as much as possible – preferably in a dark location – over the next several nights. The predictions for the outburst aren’t that much for a shower that much above the Perseids’ typical rate. The Perseids typically produce about 100 meteors per hour at their peak. The predicted rate for the 2016 outburst is about 200 meteors per hour.

After all, some meteor shower outbursts have created displays of thousands of meteors per hour! So if you miss the outburst, but see a good show generally … hey, it was worth getting outside.

So try all 3 mornings around the peak – the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. You’ll see what you see!

2. Watch between midnight and dawn. Most meteor showers are best after midnight, and the Perseids are no exception. After midnight, the part of Earth you’re standing on has turned into the meteor stream. That means the radiant point for the shower will be above your horizon. The chart at the top of this point shows the radiant for the Perseids. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s up in the northeast around midnight or just a bit after. After the radiant rises, you’ll see more meteors.

3. Avoid city lights. A wide open area – a field or a lonely country road – is best if you’re serious about watching meteors.

4. Watch with friend or friends, and try facing in different directions so that if someone sees a meteor, that person can call out “meteor” to the rest.

5. Try observing in the evening hours. You won’t see as many meteors during the evening hours, and the moon wil be up during the evening hours. But you still might catch an earthgrazer, which is a slow-moving and long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky. If you see one, you’ll have a new appreciation for evening meteor watching.

6. Sprawl out in a moon shadow. Be aware that – in years when the moon is interfering with the shower – you can sprawl out in the moon’s shadow to get a better view. In 2016, for instance, the waning gibbous moon will interfere with this year’s meteor shower during the evening hours. When it’s above the horizon, the moon will cast looooong shadows. Find a moon shadow somewhere that still provides a wide expanse of sky, to vastly improve your view of the meteor shower. A plateau area with high-standing mountains to block out the moon works just fine. If you can’t do that, find a hedgerow of trees bordering a wide open field somewhere (though obtain permission, if it’s private land). Or simply sit in the shadow of a barn or other building. Ensconced within a moon shadow, and far from the glow of city lights, the night all of a sudden darkens while the meteors brighten.

7. Notice the speed and colors of the meteors. The Perseids are known to be colorful, and they are swift-moving, entering Earth’s atmosphere at about 35 miles per second (60 km per second).

8. Watch for meteor trains. A meteor train is a persistent glow in the air, left by some meteors after they have faded from view. Trains are caused by luminous ionized matter left in the wake of this incoming space debris. A good percentage of Perseids are known to leave persistent trains. They linger for a moment or two after the meteor has gone. Watch for them!

9. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere … watch! At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower never gets very high in the sky. Therefore, the number of Perseid meteors seen from this part of the world isn’t as great as at more northerly latitudes. But if you’re game, look northward in the wee hours before dawn on August 11, 12 and 13, and you might still see a decent display of Perseids.

10. On the eve of the Perseid shower, will you see Mars and Saturn? As darkness falls, before the first Perseids even begin to light up the nighttime, Use the moon to locate the planets Mars and Saturn. See the sky chart below.

Bottom line: With no moon to ruin the show in the predawn hours, the year 2016 is a favorable one for watching the annual Perseid meteor shower. Here are some tips for watching the 2016 Perseid shower. We recommend watching all three mornings around the peak – the mornings (not the evenings) of August 11, 12 and 13.