Perseids --It's not too late

While I'm still writing the report of my Perseid-viewing adventures, I'll pass along a photo and a tip from Charlie Ridgeway, one of the amateur astronomers I spent the [very very early] morning of August 12th with. In an e-mail on August 10th he wrote:

While August 12th is best [for viewing the Perseids] , the days before and after the 12th are good, too. Even now, sky watchers are seeing occasional bright Perseids before dawn. Jim Tegerdine of Marysville, Washington, photographed this one streaking beneath the planet Mars on August 7th:

This means that IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Check out the sky on the next clear night, and you may still see shooting stars. You'll probably see more of them than I saw on August 12th.