Is that Mercury?

[MeteorWayne]

Perseid meteors are seen all over the sky. The higher the radiant is, the more of the meteors will be seen. That's why the best rates are after midnight when Perseus is higher in the sky.

The best place to look is a bit higher than halfway up in the sky, in whatever direction it is the darkest/clearest/least light pollution.

The ZHR is calculated for very dark skies (technically, limiting stellar magnitude +6.5...i.e. a very dark mountain site far away from city lights) with the radiant at the zenith (directly overhead). Since these conditions rarely occur, the observed rate will almost always be lower than the ZHR. For example, for me the radiant reaches a maximum elevation of 75 degrees, but that's at 6 AM when the sky is quite light. And my very best LM is about +6.0 on maybe 3 nights a year... normally good nights are ~ LM +5.5, which knocks out about 40% of the meteors from the Perseids, because the sky is brighter than the meteors.

 

[serosang]

Perseid meteors are seen all over the sky. The higher the radiant is, the more of the meteors will be seen. That's why the best rates are after midnight when Perseus is higher in the sky.

The best place to look is a bit higher than halfway up in the sky, in whatever direction it is the darkest/clearest/least light pollution.

The ZHR is calculated for very dark skies (technically, limiting stellar magnitude +6.5...i.e. a very dark mountain site far away from city lights) with the radiant at the zenith (directly overhead). Since these conditions rarely occur, the observed rate will almost always be lower than the ZHR. For example, for me the radiant reaches a maximum elevation of 75 degrees, but that's at 6 AM when the sky is quite light. And my very best LM is about +6.0 on maybe 3 nights a year... normally good nights are ~ LM +5.5, which knocks out about 40% of the meteors from the Perseids, because the sky is brighter than the meteors.

i understood everything till u got to the magnitude/zenith stuff; i went out in the country last night and saw 5 in about an hour....i didnt see anything at midnight

 

[MeteorWayne]

The zenith is directly overhead.

Magnitude refers to how bright a star or meteor is.

The brightest object (other than the sun) in the sky right now is Venus, at mag -4.3, visible in the west just after sunset with Saturn (mag +1.1) to the right and Mars (mag +1.5) to the left. An hour or two later Jupiter (mag -2.8) rises in the east. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius, currently rising in the east just before sunrise.
In the evening, magnitude 0 Vega is almost directly overhead, and mag 0 Arcturus can be found by following the curve of the Big Dipper's handle away from the bowl. Near Vega, toward the south is 1st magnitude Altair. The north star, Polaris, at the end of the little dipper's handle is mag +2. The 4 stars of the little dipper's bowl are ~ +2,+3,+4, and +5.

The faintest stars you can see are between mag +4 (brightest) and +6 (faintest) depending on your level of light pollution.

 

[serosang]

magnitude

The zenith is directly overhead.

Magnitude refers to how bright a star or meteor is.

The brightest object (other than the sun) in the sky right now is Venus, at mag -4.3, visible in the west just after sunset with Saturn (mag +1.1) to the right and Mars (mag +1.5) to the left. An hour or two later Jupiter (mag -2.8) rises in the east. The brightest star in the sky is Sirius, currently rising in the east just before sunrise.
In the evening, magnitude 0 Vega is almost directly overhead, and mag 0 Arcturus can be found by following the curve of the Big Dipper's handle away from the bowl. Near Vega, toward the south is 1st magnitude Altair. The north star, Polaris, at the end of the little dipper's handle is mag +2. The 4 stars of the little dipper's bowl are ~ +2,+3,+4, and +5.

The faintest stars you can see are between mag +4 (brightest) and +6 (faintest) depending on your level of light pollution.

so the higher the mag-number the brighter the object is or is it the otherway around? and tonight's the persied's meteor showers peak is tonight 3;30am correct? will i be able to see them after tonight too? another question i dont think you answered- if the constelations get higher in the sky (or seem to) will the meteors also change or will they still be over the eastern horison? looking at a list of up coming meteor showers it says ORIONIDS october 21-22 is pretty good (what're fireballs when you're talking meteors?) another one the list says is good is novembers Leonids and decembers Geminids