Stargazing: Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks Saturday

According to Astronomy.com, the Perseid Meteor shower has some added bonuses this year: It peaks Saturday on a night when the moon is in its waning crescent phase, which means moonlight won't interfere with your view of the dashing meteors. Furthermore, being on a Saturday night, you can stay up late and sleep in the next day.

On top of that, the Kirkland forecast calls for mostly clear skies forecast both nights, and sunny, warm days all weekend, with highs in the high 70s to mid-80s.

You don't even need a telescope. Just spread out a blanket, maybe a late-night picnic, lay back and enjoy!

The best watching is away from bright city lights. Not sure where to go? Astronomers from the University of Washington Astronomy Department share some of their favorite viewing spots here.

Perseid Meteor Trivia:

• These meteors travel 37 miles per second.
• The best time to view will be 2 a.m. on Aug. 12.
• The Perseid Meteors are cast-offs of the Swift-Tuttle comet, according to Space.com.
• The shower began on July 23 and will peak the night of Aug. 11-12. 
• Look toward the Perseus constellation, which forms an inverted "Y" shape and is in the northeast.
• Some of the meteroids are as small as a grain of sand, but they have the kinetic energy of a nuclear bomb.

----

If you snap a great photo of the shower, share your pictures with us in the .