There’s a nice article over at space.com this morning about the Perseid meteor shower which will peak on Monday. It’s got a nice history of meteor showers, and a primer that explains the difference between meteoroid, meteor and meteorite. (The first is the rock out in space, the second is the flash it makes when it hits the atmosphere, and the third is what’s left to hit the ground, if anything).

This year’s Perseids should be very good, because we’re going through the core of the old comet, and the moon will be almost new, so it won’t provide too much light to distract. It’s unlikely to be as spectacular as the Leonids were last fall–that kind of event, with thousands an hour, is very rare, but it’s worth planning to get out of town anyway (away from the light) next Monday, and see one of nature’s celestial shows.