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city lights, lie down comfortably and enjoy the show. The meteors streak across any number of constellations in the lore-laden heavens. But if you trace the paths of the Perseid meteors backward, they seem to radiate the constellation Perseus, near the famous Double Cluster. Once again, you don't need to locate the radiant to watch the shower.
• Moon and Venus visible in daytime sky on Monday, August 13
• After sunrise, sharp-eyed people will still be able to see Venus close to the moon. Shield out the sun - possibly by having a friend hold up an umbrella - and then look for the waning crescent moon. If you have exceptionally good vision, you'll see Venus shining just east (left) of the moon.
• If you can't see Venus with the eyes alone, try binoculars - if you have them. In North America, the moon and Venus will occupy the same binocular field of view until moonset on Monday, August 13. (If you live in Asia, look for the moon and Venus to take stage in the same binocular field on Tuesday, August 14.) Just keep in mind that as the sun drifts westward throughout the day, the moon and Venus do likewise. Gauge the moon and Venus' distance to the west of the sun at early morning to help you approximate the position of the moon and Venus later in the day.
• As seen from almost all of North America, the moon will occult - cover over - Venus in the afternoon hours on Monday, August 13. Here in Austin, Texas, the lunar occultation of Venus will happen from 3:52 to 4:53 p.m. Central Daylight Time. At this time, the moon and Venus will be low in the western sky. (We give the local times of this occultation for other places around the globe at the bottom of the page.) Use binoculars or a low-powered telescope to watch Venus disappear behind the illuminated side of the moon and then to reappear on the dark side of the moon. Also, think photo opportunity.
• In the world's Eastern Hemisphere - northeast China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, northeast Russia - the moon will occult Venus in the morning hours on Tuesday, August 14. Again, we give the local times for some chosen places below. Click here to find out the occultation times for your sky in Universal Time.
• After you see the Perseid meteors tonight, and the moon and Venus in the predawn sky, try you luck at catching the lunar occulataion of Venus in the afternoon hours of Monday, August 13 in North America, or the morning hours of Tuesday, August 14 in eastern Asia. In North America, you'll want to find an unobstructed western horizon because the moon and Venus will be close to the horizon at the time of the occultation.
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