Although the major northern hemisphere Perseids are badly affected by the last quarter Moon near their best this year, there is the possibility they may produce somewhat increased rates. The usual maximum is due around August 12, 17h30m-20h00m UT, but Esko Lyytinen suggests we may encounter the 1610 Perseid trail earlier on August 12, around 9h00m UT (ЮЛo = 139ТА661). This could produce activity additional to the normal Perseid ZHRs then of a few tens, maybe up to a hundred. Mikhail Maslov confirmed this but for 8h00m UT and with only 10-15 meteors per hour. Both reseachers further suggest that rates overall could be enhanced above usual by the proximity of the annual stream's core. (Submitted by Rainer Arlt)
Image: Are we in for a Perseid spike? (Credit: NASA/Spaceweather)
"This is after daylight in Ireland, but it would still be worth checking just before dawn on the 12th in case the timing is wrong, or the activity has a wider spread than predicted. Check http://spaceweather.com for details and observing tips" said Terry Moseley.
Have you been watching the shower? Report your observations here. This is a nice automatic page made for IMO (the International Meteor Organisation) by Geert Barensten, currently a PhD student at Armagh OBservatory.