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They return year after year. For many of us, they spell holidays and warm summer nights. But who — or what — are they? The Perseid meteors, of course!

In 2008, the Perseids will put on their show under "so-so" conditions. During the first half of the night, bright moonlight — we'll be less than three days from full moon — will wash out all but the faintest meteors: those that will turn-in early will be disappointed. However, if you have the courage and energy to stay up until dawn, the second half of the night might hold some pleasant surprises…

Indeed, peak activity this year is expected around 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time during the night of August 11 to 12. Since the moon will set around 1:00 a.m. (2:00 a.m. on August 13), that'll leave us with about 2 or 3 hours of very dark sky, before dawn sets in and daylight puts an end to the show. Put that's fine, really: the Perseids are more active after local midnight anyway, because the radiant (the area of the sky, located near the constellation Perseus, from which the Perseids seem to originate) rises higher and higher in the sky. In the few hours before peak activity occurs, one can expect to see around 40 meteors per hour from moderately dark sites.

To sum up, the best night for observing the Perseids is from August 11 to 12, preferably after 1 a.m. The second half of the nights of August 10-11 and August 12-13 will also make very good backup choices. You may also be able to catch a few Perseids — although in lesser numbers — outside the peak period that ranges from August 10 to 13: indeed, Perseids are active from the end of July through the third week of August.

Have your wish-list ready, and enjoy the Perseids!