AN EARLY HEADS UP FOR A HEADS UP

Very early this. But I wanted to warn you in plenty of time.

Meteor showers occur regular as clockwork. There are many showers each year, and I have been lucky? enough to watch most of them at some point or other in my life, and also see some amazing 'fireball' meteorites which have lit up the whole sky occasionally - now that is luck...

Where are you going to be between August 10th and August 15th this year?
If you are somewhere experiencing clear weather, especially around the 13th of the month, do spend an hour or so outside, during the early hours of the morning (or around midnight at least) looking at the night sky.

Do that, and weather permitting, you are guaranteed a spectacular show.

The Perseid Meteor shower happens each year between those dates - August 13th being the date of peak activity (the 'Zenith'). This year will be spectacular though, for one reason really - there will be no moon in the night sky - and that means even the tiniest meteors will be visible to us on earth, and not 'washed-out' by the light of the moon.

It does promise to be spectacular, with dozens and dozens of meteors streaking across the sky.
And all you have to do is get away from the street lamps for an hour or so, into the dark, hope for no clouds, and look up. I'll try to remember to post on this before we disappear to drought-ravaged Greece in August, to let you know which part of the night sky all the meteors will appear to come from (the 'Radiant').
Watch this space... (quite literally)!

(We are in Kefalonia until the 11th of August - shame really - we could probably guarantee a clear sky out there on the 13th, but we'll be looking on the 10th and then here, back in Blighty).

If the weather IS clear, you may not see a better meteor shower in your life...