Where to Peep Peak Perseids in Greenbelt

By Todd Richissin

The Perseid meteor shower 2013 peak is a few days off and you may be able to get a good look at the show already, if the skies cooperate.

Monday's forecast is less ideal, with cloud cover expected into the night.

This video of the Perseid meteor shower shows you what you can expect when it peaks Aug. 11 and 12. Or check out these pictures of the Perseids.

How spectacular is the show? NASA says Perseid rates can get as high as 100 visible meteors per hour, with many of them appearing not just as bright streaks but as fireballs hurtling through the sky.

The Perseids are the offspring of the comet Swift-Tuttle. We see the meteors when the Earth passes through the comet's orbit and sweeps up some of this debris. We see shooting stars -- rapid streaks of light -- as the tiny rocks encounter the thin upper atmosphere of the Earth and the air is heated to incandescence.

You can see the shower anywhere in the sky, but look toward the southeastern sky to see the meteors at their brightest and longest.

Where to watch in Prince George's County? For starters: the darker the area the better. 

• Generally, head to the south-eastern part of the county. It's much less densely populated and has many nice dark spots for stargazing.
• If you can't do that, we have it on good authority that some of the best places to head to in Maryland's inner-Beltway area might be the McKeldin Mall at the University of Maryland and Northway Fields in Greenbelt.
• The Astronomical Society of Greenbelt is hosting a Star Watching Party on Aug. 10. Though a day before the peak, there should be plenty of Perseids to go around. 

As always, check for posted hours of public places, and make sure you're not trespassing before setting up shop to gawk at the fireworks of the universe. 

Where do you watch in Greenbelt? Tell us in the comments below.