STARGAZERS are being urged to look to the skies tonight for the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower.
Experts say there could be up to 150-meteors-an-hour as the grand finale takes place.
The event is billed by the UK National Space Centre as ‘the best light show of the year’ and the event happens every August when the Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle.
The comets shed dust and stones as they fly around the sun.
The debris which then falls, causes the Perseid shower, hitting the Earth’s atmosphere at 125,000miles-per-hour, burning brightly with short blazes 80km from the ground.
The Perseids – named after the summer constellation Perseus – are so bright and numerous they are clearly visible with the naked eye, provided the sky is dark and cloud free.
And people do not need a telescope to see this super ‘shooting stars’ spectacle – all that is needed is clear skies.
The best places to watch the meteors are away from cities and towns, where the skies are at their darkest and not affected by light pollution.
The best time to see the Perseid Meteor Shower is from 11.30pm tonight (Monday) and 5.30am tomorrow (Tuesday).
