Would you know the countries there were under the spectacular Perseid Meteor Shower in Aug 12 2006?

Question

It was reported that the Perseid meteor shower would also be visible in the eastern region. Im in the middle east right now & I tried to stay up late fr 12 midnight to 4am to witness the phenomenal event. It has been said that the moonlight would be a hindrance for you to see 15 meteorites per hr instead of 60. Did I miss it or the shower is not visible in my location? Thank you.

Answer 1

It should have been visible all over the world. The "eastern region" you mention, they might have meant that the meteors would be in the eastern part of the sky (which isn't really true, but often gets mentioned anyway). Also, the usual amount of 60 meteors per hour is for the entire, unobstructed (no trees or buildings or hills in the way) view, under perfectly dark, clear skies. As you mentioned, the Moon was out so that cut down on the possible number you could see. Were you viewing near a city? City lights drown out stars and meteors, so that could be a culprit, too.

I'm sorry you didn't see any meteors, but hopefully you got a chance to appreciate the stars. In my opinion, a night spent watching the night sky is never a night wasted.