planets - Jupiter and Venus - in the predawn sky this weekend. What more can you ask? Find a dark, open sky far away from the harsh glare of city lights, lie down comfortably on a reclining lawn chair and enjoy the show. You don't need to know the constellations. You don't need special equipment. Simply look up to watch Perseid meteors streaking the nighttime sky. As seen from around the world, the most meteors usually fall in the dark hours just before dawn.
• How to find the radiant point for Perseid metors
• August 2012 guide to the five visible planets
• From the Northern Hemisphere, you can see a smattering of Perseid meteors in the evening hours. The meteors tend to be few and far between at mid-evening, though this presents the best time of night to try to catch an earthgrazer - an elongated, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky. Earthgrazers are rare but most memorable if you're lucky enough to spot one. From the Southern

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