Dark Nights for the Perseids (From SKY & TELESCOPE)

The last time the annual Perseid meteor shower happened during a run of good moonless nights was in 2007. It turns out that every three years, the same phase of the Moon returns to roughly the same date each month (2.2 days earlier, on average). So in 2010 we're on for moonless Perseids again!
The shower lasts for many days, but according to the International Meteor Organization this year's peak should occur during a half-day-long window. For North Americans, the best viewing will probably be late Thursday night and early Friday morning, August 12-13, or possibly the night before.

Visit the SKY & TELESCOPE site for more info.