Stargazing / Meteor showers

When to look up.

A meteor shower is the easiest, most magical sky event there is - no gear, just a dark spot and a view. The showers come back on about the same dates every year, so you can plan around them. Here's the calendar, the two to circle, and how to watch.

The yearly calendar

A meteor shower is one of the easiest, most magical sky events - no equipment, just a dark spot and a view. Meteors come when Earth plows through the dusty trail left by a comet or asteroid, and the bits burn up as 'shooting stars.' The showers recur on about the same dates every year, so the calendar is worth planning around.

★ The two big ones. The Perseids in August and Geminids in December are easy annual starting points. The real show varies with the exact peak, moonlight, clouds, and your viewing site, so treat these dates as planning windows rather than promises.

How to watch (it's simple)

• -Use a legal dark spot, then check both the cloud forecast and the moon. Either one can hide faint meteors.
• -Skip the telescope and binoculars - they narrow your view. Use your naked eyes and take in as much sky as you can.
• -Lie back in a reclining chair or on a blanket, let your eyes adjust for about 30 minutes, and watch a broad patch of sky. You don't need to find any particular constellation.
• -Many showers improve after midnight, but not every shower follows the same clock. Check the current guide for the one you plan to watch.
• -Dress warm, bring snacks, and be patient. Counting 'ten more minutes' is how an hour disappears.