When should I watch the big meteor shower tonight?
Meteor showers are not short-term events, they can last for days or even weeks. The Perseid meteor shower occurs between July 17 and August 24, with the peak at 3:04 UTC on Aug 12. Most meteor showers have peaks that last at least a few nights. As long as you are at a dark location away from bright lights, and you simply watch the sky (look towards the constellation Perseus, but meteors can be seen over the entire sky) you should see many meteors any night this week. The estimate of the number of meteors during the peak for the Perseids is around 60 per hour. The best time to view any meteor shower is after local midnight.
