A bright Perseid Meteor cuts across Orion's Belt at five a.m. Tuesday morning during the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower Aug. 12,1997. (AP Photo/Wally Pacholka)
Tonight’s the night: The Real Housewives of D.C. is on, the weekend “starts” and the Perseid meteor shower will be happening. If the existence of another version of Housewives wasn’t enough to make you think the world is ending, maybe chunks of space rock careening through the atmosphere will.
NASA says that while there’s a chance to see meteors both today and tomorrow, 10 p.m. tonight should be the optimal time.
If you plan to gaze up at the sky tonight, try to get away from crowded city-type areas. The light coming from streelights, storefronts and homes will make the sky appear lighter and make it that much harder to spot a meteor. Trek out to the East End for the best viewing conditions.
If it’s cloudy outside–like it is this morning–you might want to make other plans. To keep in the spirit, watch Armageddon.
If you’re bringing a camera, the American Meteor Society suggests tilting the camera at a 30-degree angle as opposed to straight up. Set the exposure length to more than a minute.
NASA is also hosting a live stream of the sky shenanigans which will go live later tonight (so bookmark this page).
And finally, the trailer for the upcoming movie Skyline, which looks an awful lot like the worst meteor shower ever. Where’s Bruce Willis when you need him?
