Sky show: Viewing guide to supermoon and Perseids

Looking for something to do the next two nights? You may want to spend some time looking up.

The combination of the supermoon and the annual Perseid meteor shower will provide some rare and potentially spectacular sights.

Here a quick viewing guide to catch the celestial action from NASA and other sources.

• NASA Perseid live chat.

• NASA guide to Perseids

• Tips on Perseid photography

• You can estimate your Perseid meteor count here.

NASA: Supermoon vs. the Perseids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkKzMAzT5fs&feature=youtu.be

NASA 2014 Perseids Forecast

This year the Perseids will peak during the night and early morning hours of 12 and 13 of August. Unfortunately, a nearly full moon (Supermoon) will make it difficult to view the year's best meteor shower. However, you may still be able to see a few fireballs.

Fast Facts

• Comet of Origin: 109P/Swift-Tuttle

• Radiant: Constellation Perseus

• Active: 17 July -- 24 Aug. 2014

• Peak Activity: 12-13 Aug. 2014

• Peak Activity Meteor Count: Up to 100 meteors per hour

• Meteor Velocity: 59 km (37 miles) per second

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About the Meteor Shower

The Perseids, which peak during mid-August, are considered to be the best meteor shower of the year. With very fast and bright meteors, Perseids frequently leave long "wakes" of light and color behind them as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere. The Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers (50-100 meteors seen per hour) and occurs with warm summer nighttime weather, allowing sky watchers to easily view the shower.

Perseids are also known for their fireballs. Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material. Fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes brighter than -3.

Viewing Tips

The Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, though at times it is possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10:00 p.m.. Find an area well away from city or street lights.

Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing northeast and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient -- the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.

Perseid: King of "fireballs"

Yes the supermoon will be especially bright tonight, and that may reduce visibility of some of the faintest meteors. But the Perseid is known as the king of the fireballs. These brilliantly bright colorful bursts should be visible even with the supermoon.