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 two to circle: the Perseids in August (the fan favorite, on warm nights) and the Geminids in December (usually the most prolific shower of the year - the most meteors, often colorful). Whether a given year is great or so-so depends mostly on the moon, so check this year's peak night and moon phase before you go.

How to watch (it's simple)

• -Get to a dark spot, and check that the moon won't be bright at the shower's peak - the moon, not clouds, is what most often spoils a shower.
• -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 20-30 minutes, and watch the darkest patch of sky. You don't need to find any particular constellation.
• -It's best after midnight into the pre-dawn hours, when your side of Earth turns into the debris stream - though you'll catch some all evening.
• -Dress warm, bring snacks, and be patient. Counting 'ten more minutes' is how an hour disappears.