Where's the shower?

Dear Editor,

My husband, Dale, and I went out early the 12th of August to view the Perseids and saw several between 4 and 5 that morning -- it was the only morning we had clear skies here in Lexington that week [What's Up: "Clouds, moon -- it's always something for the Perseids" ( )].

We did not see a veritable shower of "shooting stars" but were privileged to see quite a few streak across the early morning sky.

We thank you for your very interesting column.

Margaret Nielsen,

Lexington

Columnist Vernon Whetstone responds: The term "shower" is often a confusing term, at least from what the public is expecting to what reality is. From the reader's description she did indeed see the Perseid "shower." From other reports I have read there were between 90 to 125 meteors per hour visible from dark sky locations.