Perseids 2015 (bright, seen)

[Shanksalot]

Watched it for a few hours before the peak and about an hour after. It was not bad but nothing spectacular. We live in an urban area and not the best vantage point but a clear view of the sky to the west is good enough. Fortunately the weather was good this year and the usual humidity was not a factor this time. There seemed to be a few very bright ones (not fireballs) c. 1:30am, but the best ones that I saw were actually not Perseids. Nothing even close to the fireball that I saw last week. I seem to remember the Perseids being more active when I was younger, but it was still worth waiting for and watching.

[froglipz]

Pretty much just a shrug, nothing spectacular.

[Mr. In-Between]

I've always felt the Perseids were somewhat over-rated. I've seldom seen a really good show. The winter showers, like the Leonids and the Geminids are my favorites - especially the Geminids. I particularly like the greenish color of the Geminids, and the frequency. One year, we counted over 200 per hour. There was a group of about 15 of us, and as soon as we lay down on our blankets somehone shouted, "there's one." Then, "there's another one." "There's another." "And another." It just went on and on until we were too tired to stay out any longer.

The Geminids are definitely the better show, but fewer people know about them. I think the Perseids are so popular because they're a "summertime shower," occurring in mid-August. People are less inclined to want to lie down on a blanket on the ground in the middle of December.