Hey, Seattle! We might actually see the Perseid meteor shower

Missing out on the Northern Lights was kind of a blow. But considering the summer we've all endured, it's safe to say that Seattlelites are a resilient people --  a people who understand that awesome things come to those who wait.

Now, we've waited long enough, and the cosmos are rewarding us. So tonight when the sun goes down, gather a blanket and a bottle (or a box) of cheap wine and go outside. Look up. Because somehow, miraculously, the sky will probably (hopefully) be clear -- and the meteors will be falling.

Tonight and tomorrow mark some of the prime days to watch the Perseid meteor shower, a yearly extraterrestrial event that occurs each August, as the Earth soars through the space debris that follows the Swift-Tuttle comet. The result? A whole bunch of tiny, super-hot little particles of crud that light up the night.

The best time to watch the show is actually just before dawn, when the Earth is facing the shower of schmutz. But if you're not one for staying up late (or you drink the entire box of wine and fall asleep before it gets good), you'll still probably catch some good ones if you're patient.

Obviously, watching any sort of nighttime activity is best done away from the city lights. But if you can't escape town for a night of watching meteors (what, your boss wouldn't understand?), you can still head out to the nearest rooftop, park or poorly-lit street (with a group, of course, for safety) and get a look at what the universe does every year, as if to say, "Hey, Seattle. We're sorry about another bummer summer."