Meteors result from particles of dust causing the atmosphere to glow as the particles enter the upper atmosphere of the Earth. The Perseid Meteors, or “Perseids,” are associated with Comet Swift-Tuttle. In 1866 Giovanni V. Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer more widely known for discovering the “canals” on Mars, determined that the path of the particles resulting in the Perseids was identical with the orbit of Comet Swift-Tuttle which had been observed in 1862. This discovery was confirmation of a then innovative theory that meteor showers result from the debris of comets, a theory now widely accepted in astronomical circles. Since the Earth encounters this debris at the same point in space each time it makes its annual revolution around the Sun, we observe the Perseids close to the same date each year, around August 12. In 2010 the Perseids are predicted to reach a peak of 60 to 90 meteors per hour on the evening of Thursday, August 12. The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the more reliable showers and lasts for several of days on either side of its peak. Thus, the mornings of August 12 and 13 should be best for observing Perseids this year but a few Perseids can be spotted before or after these dates. We have a very small waxing crescent moon in the early evening so there will be no moonlight to interfere with observations of the fainter meteors. The Perseids are best observed between about 11 p.m. and dawn from a clear, dark location with a good horizon. Look to the northeast to find the meteors appearing to radiate out of the constellation of Perseus the hero (just below the “W” of Cassiopeia). Binoculars or telescopes are not needed to observe meteor showers. For further information see MacRobert, Alan, “Dark Nights for the Perseids,” Sky and Telescope magazine, Vol. 120, No. 2, August 2010, p. 60ff on your newsstand now. About PARI PARI is a not-for-profit foundation established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah Forest southwest of Asheville, NC, PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research. The institute is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI, and is a member of the NC Grassroots Museum Collaborative. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.