"In the great meteor shower of August, the Perseid, I wail all day for the shooting stars I miss." — Annie Dillard, from "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"

Poets and artists have long tried to capture the fleeting majesty of a star streaking across the night sky. It’s a spectacle available to anyone — just look up.

The dog days of summer bring one of the best opportunities: the annual Perseid meteor shower from late July through August.

People tend to remember seeing a meteor.

Like Karla Coreil, who saw a spectacular shooting star in 2014 while kayaking at night in the Vieques bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico. The meteor streaked across the sky moments before a fish leapt from the water and smacked her friend, Brad France, in the face. Both Coreil and France live in Baton Rouge.

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