Perseid meteor shower: When and where you can see up to 100 meteors every hour

A celestial fireworks display will light up the night sky as Earth flies through a cloud of comet dust, producing up to 100 meteors every hour.

If skies are clear, the Perseid meteor shower should be visible across the UK.

When and where can you see this celestial spectacle?

The Perseid meteor shower should be visible from around sunset on the night of August 12th until the early morning hours of August 13th.

Although they will peak on the night of August 12, Daniel Brown, associate professor of astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, said it would be worth keeping an eye out for a second peak should one occur.

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“The meteor shower slowly builds up from mid-July and then reaches its peak activity on August 12th with 100 meteors per hour. After that it decreases until mid/late August.”

In reality, however, activity may exhibit more complex fluctuations, meaning that the peak may not be the only one.

“In 2018 and 2020 there was some increased activity a day or two after the main peak,” said Professor Brown.

“Aside from the fact that meteor showers do not occur on a single evening – they slowly increase and then decrease over days – we might also observe that the most active evening is followed by another one a day or two later.”

How do you get the best view?

To best observe the meteors, experts say observers should avoid well-lit and built-up areas and try to find an unobstructed view.

Professor Brown said you should look for a dark place away from direct light.

He said it would take viewers up to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.

“Be patient. It’s best to observe a large area of ​​the sky, as meteors are visible everywhere.”

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

The event is related to the dusty remains of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years.

The comet’s meteoroids, which are usually no larger than a grain of sand, burn up when they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 58 kilometers per second, creating a flash of light in the sky.

When reaching the atmosphere, peak temperatures can range between 1,648 °C and 5,537 °C.

The meteors are called Perseids because they appear to shoot from the constellation Perseus.

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