Going on a vacation to see some of the beauties of nature often involves a lot of work. One must plan, make reservations, pack, get time off, fly or drive to "enjoy" that trip to Yosemite or Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon. Of course it is worth it - they are all terrestrial works of art - but there are some natural wonders which we can enjoy from our own backyard.

Of course I am talking about the sky; but more specifically here, a meteor shower. And - surprise! - we have one in the next days.

The annual Perseid meteor shower is scheduled for its appearance though the middle of this week, more precisely the nights of the 11th and 12th, and the 12th and 13th.

Recall that a meteor shower happens when Earth barrels through a comet's debris train. A what?

Comets, made of ice and organics and dirt, circuit through our solar system often. Some are in hugely elliptical orbits which take decades, sometimes centuries to complete. A few comets have orbits which intersect our own. It is tragic if Earth and comet happen to meet at that intersection at the same time, but we almost never do.

The comet does give off a lot of its dust and ice and other debris as it goes around, especially when it is close to the sun. It is that thrown-off stuff that we are pretty much guaranteed to hit as we cross orbits.

And as we do run into the debris train, those dusty remnants smash into our atmosphere at breakneck speeds, vaporizing the little guys in streaks of light which we call meteors.

We cross the thickest part of the debris train of a comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle at about midday on the 12th. Bad news: We miss the peak for nighttime viewing. Good news: We can see the shoulders of that peak either the night before or that night.

Sadly, the waning, but still bright, third quarter moon will be up brightening the sky after midnight, just when it is best to see the shower. But that's OK. The Perseids are reliably big and bright and beautiful.

When you go out to watch them, your best bet is from just before midnight to dawn (when we are headed into the stream). You merely need a place to lie down and look up. If it is a warm evening don't forget the bug spray. Mosquitoes see you as a healthy meal lying there all unprotected. Trust me on that one.

Enjoy with your friends or family this inexpensive summer vacation to a natural wonder.