A Perseid meteor streaks toward the horizon early this morning. This photo was taken at Mount Charleston.
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 | 2:56 p.m.
For those night owls scanning the skies Monday night and this morning, the annual Perseid meteor shower put on quite a display.
Observers don't need binoculars or a telescope to see the colorful bits of dust burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.
Each Aug. 12 or 13 the Perseids peak as the Earth's atmosphere crashes into the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. The brilliant streaks across the sky from the northeastern constellation of Perseus can deliver brilliant colors, depending on what is in the particles of ice and rock.
Some of the best views occurred at Lake Mead, the Valley of Fire and from Mount Charleston, according to photographers who captured the fireworks from space.
Although people may see meteors at any time of year, the Perseids beginning in middle July through August and the Leonids in November offer some of the most spectacular sites.
And the Perseids, like a faithful friend, return each year.
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