It’s hard to give a meteor shower too much attention in a city like Seattle. Light pollution is one factor. The usual Pacific Northwest cloud cover — yes, even in August — is the other. But this year’s Thursday night-Friday morning peak might be different. NASA is saying the volume will be strong, there’s only a tiny sliver of a moon to deal with and, importantly, it’s gorgeous outside. More from NASA:

This year’s Perseid meteor shower peaks on the night of Aug. 12-13, and it promises to be one of the best displays of the year. If forecasters are correct, the shower should produce a peak display of at least 80 meteors per hour. A waxing crescent moon will set before the shower becomes active, setting a perfect stage for meteor watching — weather permitting, of course!

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The best times to view are between 10 PM and 3 or 4 in the morning. But where on the Hill is another question. Eliminating as much of the core downtown light from your view is important as is having a pretty clear look at the northern sky. We think Volunteer Park is probably the most convenient if you go with a friend and are courteous and quiet and don’t draw the attention of SPD. Another suggestion in the past has been the parking lot of MOHAI down Montlake way. The best place for Capitol Hill-ites to watch the show? Wenatchee. But it’s too late for that.

Here are some more viewing tips if you do go outside and look up:

Lie on your back on a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair and look straight up and take in as much sky as possible. Do not look at the constellation Perseus, where is the shower radiant is located, as you will see fewer meteors. This is because the length of the meteor gets longer the farther it appears from the radiant; to see nice bright meteors, you need to look some distance away from Perseus, which for U.S. observers is off to the northeast. Looking straight up, towards the Zenith, is a good choice and enables you to take in a lot of sky.

Do not use binoculars or a telescope, as they have narrow fields of view and will greatly reduce your chances of seeing meteors.

You can also follow @/MeteorScientist for updates through the night.