From Earthsky.org:
From late night on Tuesday, August 11 till dawn on Wednsday, August 12, a decent sprinkling of Perseid meteors may adorn this summer night, despite the pesky moon. Lie back and watch meteors until dawn’s light washes the stars, moon and planets from the sky.
And from science.nasa.gov:
The Moon is least troublesome during the early evening hours of August 11th. Around 9 to 11 p.m. local time (your local time), both Perseus and the Moon will be hanging low in the north. This low profile reduces lunar glare while positioning the shower's radiant for a nice display of Earthgrazers.
"Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond," explains Cooke. "They are long, slow and colorful—among the most beautiful of meteors." He notes that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.
Is it better to be facing north or south, I can sit out the front or back garden and watch them (front might not be so comfortable (north facing)).
Pro's and con's:
Pro's: North facing you do not get the london lights in the distance and South facing you do not get the roar of traffic and as stated above the shine of the moon.
Con's: North facing you get the roar of the traffic and the glare of the moon and south facing you get the london lights in the distance.
Perseids can be seen in all quadrants of the sky. Even though they seem to radiate from Perseus, that is just the point of Earth's travel into the swarm. You're best-off having 3-4 people with you, all facing different directions. You'll want to call out to the group when you see them, and especially if you're charting them.
I'm sure every amateur astronomy has seen the meteor shower. I'm no exception. Foer the last two years I have been watching the shooting stars fly over on some nights. This year will be no exception. Does anyone know the date of this years metoer shower?
Thanks, Calum.