The Perseid meteor shower has begun. While the best viewing typically occurs after midnight when your location faces forward into the meteor stream, this year’s full moon is bright enough to interfere with visibility. To get around this, it's best to start watching at dusk, before the moon rises. The Perseids are tiny bits of ice from comet Swift Tuttle, disintegrating as they enter Earth's atmosphere. About one in 20 meteors, however, is a background meteor from the asteroid belt, which can survive their fiery descent. These "sturdy" meteors can even crash through roofs at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour. Despite the rarity of such impacts, insurance usually covers the damage.

We welcome back SUNY physics professor Dr. Kevin Knuth for another of our semi-regular discussions about UFO. We'll talk about the latest sightings, scientific findings and take your calls. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

As Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill takes her final bow as Producing Artistic Director at Capital Repertory Theatre, we’re marking the end of an extraordinary era in Albany’s arts scene, and we are thrilled to have her on the Roundtable this morning.Maggie’s final production as Producing Artistic Director closes with “Once” on Sunday, Aug. 10. She’s joins us to discuss her journey, her impact, what’s next, and what she hopes theREP and the Capital Region’s arts scene will continue to grow into.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany Robert Griffin, Diplomat in residence at Bard College Ambassador Frederic Hof, and Albany Law School Professor and Director of the Justice Center Sarah Rogerson.