The Perseid meteor display is upon us. Over the course of the
next four days, Earth will plough through the debris stream left
by a giant comet that has been circling the sun since the birth
of the solar system. Each tiny cometary fragment that hits our
atmosphere is usually no larger than a speck of dust. Yet it
burns up with an incandescent display that we call a shooting
star. If you want to get technical about it: a meteor. This
year, the Perseids will be visible from the northern hemisphere
between 11 and 14 August. If the clouds cooperate and the skies
are clear this weekend, the prime times to watch are generally
between midnight and 3am. This year the night of the 12th going
into the 13th is expected to be the best. But meteor showers are
extremely variable and if you have the chance, watch in the
early hours of any morning between the 11th and 14th. The
direction in which to look is the east. If you know your
constellations, find Perseus then look at its surroundings. Take
a deck chair, blankets and