With Saturn appearing higher earlier in the evening and the ring tilt decreasing, it will be interesting to follow the planet and its moons this year. Titan and Rhea are the easiest to see with a telescope. Both are visible in small telescopes, Titan in an 60mm aperture and Rhea in an 80mm scope.

To improve prospects of seeing more meteors, keep the Moon at your back so it doesn't glare at your eyes. It's not necessary to stare at the streaming point, or the meteor shower radiant, which is northwestern Perseus below the W of Cassiopeia. Perseids flash in any and every corner of the sky.

The radiant (highest) of the Capricornids is located 3.5° northeast of Alpha Capricorni; Comet 169P/NEAT is the parent. Also, late July generates first views of the Perseids which peak on August 12th.

Since it faces South, the view for the Capital District gives an altitude of roughly 35° about 3 AM. The Moon is no problem because it sets by Midnight, permitting views of meteors traveling at 40 kilometers (90,000 MPH). This shower originates from 96P/Machlholz, a mix of several meteor showers.

Thanks to microscopic traces, we now know that the object was an asteroid that entered the Earth's atmosphere and exploded several miles above the surface with a force between three and five times the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb. Research also revealed that the object was smaller than first thought.

The region was so remote that it took years for word to arrive at Moscow. Twenty years later, scientist Leonid Kulik led an expedition. He witnessed forest devastated for miles, trees felled in a radial pattern from a central area. Suspecting a meteor, the expedition dredged the swamp to no avail.

The resulting blast knocked people off their feet 70 kilometers away. Night skies were so bright that one could read a newspaper at midnight. Barometers around the world registered the blast wave. Monday was the 117th anniversary of the Tunguska Event.