Not Too Late to Catch the Perseid Meteor Shower 2013

The Perseid meteor shower 2013 peak has struck, but there's still time to catch one of the great shows of the year. The Perseids continue through Aug. 24.

The Perseids are the offspring of the comet Swift-Tuttle. We see the meteors when the Earth passes through the comet's orbit and sweeps up some of this debris. We see shooting stars -- rapid streaks of light -- as the tiny rocks encounter the thin upper atmosphere of the Earth and the air is heated to incandescence.

You can see the shower anywhere in the sky, but look toward the southeastern sky to see the meteors at their brightest and longest.

At its peak, the Perseids meteor shower could display up to 100 meteors per hour in the pre-dawn hours Sunday. The American Meteor Society recommends viewing this meteor shower between midnight and dawn Saturday and Sunday.

Space.com has these tips and more:

• Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too.
• Be patient. It may take your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the light and see the meteors.
• You don’t need binoculars or a telescope – that will only limit the amount of sky you can see.

The best place to see the Perseids meteor shower in Vienna might be:

• The Town Green (while you catch a Concert on the Green!)
• Parking lot of Cedar Lane Shopping Center: The popular fireworks viewing spot could also double as a good place to grab takeout and look up at the sky
• End a shopping trip to Tysons Corner Center with a short campout in one of the mall's parking garages. 

Do you know of a great viewing location? Share it in the comments section below!