"Most years Perseid meteor watching can begin as early as 10 o'clock at night. The meteor rate increases from 10 p.m. until just before dawn the next morning when the sky above is heading directly into the Perseid meteoroid stream. The 2000 apparition of the Perseids will compete with the bright gibbous moon, so there's not much point in trying to watch before the Moon sets around 3:30 a.m. local daylight time. Before moonset, only the very brightest meteors will be visible. Afterward, stargazers could be in for a brief but beautiful shower. Experienced meteor watchers suggest the following viewing strategy: Find an observing site as far as possible from urban lights. Bring a reclining chair, or spread a thick blanket over a flat spot of ground. Lie down and look up somewhat toward the north. You don't need to stare directly at the radiant. Perseid meteors can appear anywhere in the sky although their trails will point back toward the radiant, pictured as a red dot in the sky map. Binoculars and telescopes are not essential. The naked eye is usually best for watching meteors, which can streak more than 15 degrees across the sky." QUOTE FROM :"Perseid Observing Tips " REFERENCE #1)
| Perseids | Swift-Tuttle | |
|---|---|---|
| Argument of Perihelion ( ω ) [J2000] | 149.2 deg. | 153.00 deg. |
Ascending Node ( ) [J2000] | 140.2 deg. | 139.44 deg. |
| Inclination (i) [J2000] | 113.2 deg. | 113.43 deg. |
| Perihelion Distance (q) | 0.942 AU | 0.958 AU |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.902 | 0.964 |
| Semimajor axis (a) | 9.641 AU | 26.317 AU |
| Date | RA (deg) | DECL (deg) |
|---|---|---|
| July 27 | 27.1 | +53.2 |
| July 29 | 29.3 | +53.8 |
| July 31 | 31.6 | +54.4 |
| Aug. 2 | 33.9 | +55.0 |
| Aug. 4 | 36.4 | +55.5 |
| Aug. 6 | 38.9 | +56.0 |
| Aug. 8 | 41.5 | +56.5 |
| Aug. 10 | 44.3 | +56.9 |
| Aug. 12 | 47.1 | +57.3 |
| Aug. 14 | 50.0 | +57.7 |
| Aug. 16 | 52.9 | +58.0 |
