Perseid meteor shower photos will inspire you to watch again tonight

Saskatchewan residents had some spectacular views of the Perseid meteor peak last night, but many other Canadians were largely clouded out.

As expected, there was an "outburst" this year, with a peak of about double the usual number of meteors for the annual August show about 200 meteors per hour, said Peter Brown, a professor with the Meteor Physics Group at Western University in London, Ont.

The research group's radar detected the outburst, and some of its all-sky cameras managed to catch some meteors through the clouds.

"But weather was somewhat poor across most of eastern Canada," Brown wrote in an email. "This was really better seen in Europe, both because of timing and their weather was better."

Still, some Canadians got stunning views, especially from Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan, where sky-watchers were treated not just to meteors but also beautiful auroras.

But even in light-polluted, cloudy Toronto, dedicated sky-watchers weren't necessarily disappointed.

Clouds were reported across much of the country, though.

Those who were clouded out last night will be happy to hear that the annual meteor shower continues tonight. If you're going camping or cottaging this weekend, it may be a great opportunity to take advantage of the dark skies and watch for them. You can check out some tips about how to get the best views here.

Some national parks, such asCape Breton Highlands National ParkandPoint Pelee National Park, are holding their official meteor-shower-watching parties on Aug. 12-13. So isGordon's Park Dark Sky Preserveon Manitoulin Island, Ont.

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