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dark adaptation (and judg-
ment and many other things).
Some late nights during the
summer in the north can get
quite chilly, so bringing a
blanket may be a good idea.
Furthermore, if you observe
at a location with high
humidity, the addition of a
simple plastic tarp will keep
you dry all night.Fun awaits
The Perseid meteor shower
always ranks as the year’s best
because of its high hourly rate
and its appearance during the
northern summer. In 2020,
the Moon will cut into your
count a bit, but if your sky
is clear and you are patient,
success is assured. So, go
watch some shooting stars!Michael E. Bakich is a
contributing editor of Astronomy
and a veteran of dozens of
Perseid meteor showers.
Luck has some part to play in capturing a Perseid. This imager was shooting
the Milky Way behind a driftwood stump east of Grand Marais, in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan. He caught this Perseid in one of his nine exposures
August 13, 2019. ANDREW BARTKOWIAKThis Perseid fireball appeared as the photographer was capturing exposures
of Mars and the Milky Way on August 13, 2018, from Mount Athos, Greece. The
smoke trail the meteor left was visible for 10 minutes. DANIEL CHAMARATOS