The Perseids

Where you can see it

The radiant rises everywhere north of 32°S. From mid-northern latitudes (40°N) it climbs to about 65° before dawn. From mid-southern latitudes (35°S) it never rises.

The height is the radiant's, the point the meteors seem to come from, on the peak night, counting only the hours when the Sun is at least 12° below the horizon. The lower it is, the fewer meteors reach you: at 30° up you would see about half the rate above, before the Moon and your own sky take their share.

The Moon at each of the next four peaks

The Moon is taken at 00:00 UTC on the morning of maximum. Whether it is actually above your horizon at three in the morning depends on where you are standing — the live calendar works that out for your own location. Showers are almost all better after midnight, when your side of the planet turns to face the direction of travel and starts sweeping meteors up instead of waiting to be caught.

What you need

Nothing. Meteors cross too much sky too fast for binoculars or a telescope to be anything but a handicap — the equipment for this is a coat, a chair that tips back, and twenty minutes for your eyes to adapt. Look up and slightly away from the radiant rather than straight at it; meteors near the radiant are coming at you end-on and leave the shortest trails.

Peak night and rate: International Meteor Organization, Meteor Shower Calendar ↗(opens in a new tab). Moon phases computed here.