Look Up Washington! The Perseid Meteor Shower is Here

Sky gazers should look up Saturday night into early Sunday morning for the spectacular show.

The annual event comes because of the Comet Swift-Tuttle orbit of the Sun. It passes once every 133 years. It was Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli who was the first to connect the comet to the Perseids after he calculated that the Perseid meteors were remnants of Comet 1862 III and the Leonids of Comet 1866 I. As a side note, he also observed a dense network of linear structures on the surface of Mars, which he called canali in Italian, meaning "channels". This was during the planet's "great opposition" of 1877.

If you'd like to observe the event in its fullest, make sure you find a location that is far off from any kind of light pollution. There should be around 100 meteors per hour at its height, but you'll need to be in a very rural location to see that number. Even a slight amount of light pollution from a small town can hinder those results.

Fortunately, though, you won't need any kind of special equipment to see the spectacular. No telescope, no binoculars, nothing... just your eyes.

You'll also want to keep comfort in mind, as your head will be set skyward for an extended period of time. Having a good spot where you can lay down on the ground, or even a way to recline in a yard chair will be a good bet.

This is also a great adventure for young families. Celestial events like meteor showers are a great way to get young children interested in space, astronomy and other sciences.

If I were to offer a bit of advice as to one of the best place in the Tri-City area to view the event, it would be from North McBee Rd. in Benton County, just south of Benton City. Do keep in mind that the road is primitive and will take you along the edge of the Chandler Butte landslide and up into the Horse Heaven Hills. If you have a problem with a roadway with a sheer edge and no guard railing, you may want to look elsewhere. However, once up there you will be treated to a spectacular view of the Tri-City region and you'll be pretty far from sources of light pollution.

Or, you could just go camping. Two birds with one stone, right there.