Stargazers up and down the country are in for a treat this evening (Picture: Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
Stargazers across the country it is your lucky evening tonight because the ‘best meteor shower of the year’ is about to start.
Up to 100 meteors, also known as shooting stars, are set to go off every hour as part of the Perseid shower.
They are also known for their fireballs which means larger explosions of light and colour stay on for longer than the average meteor streak.
This has been going on for centuries and is caused by Earth passing through a cloud of dust left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle.
This debris then hits the atmosphere, burns up, and leaves bright trails behind it in the sky.
These are mostly no bigger than a grain of sand and when they burn up as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere they do so at 36 miles per second, to produce the shooting stream of light in the sky.
Peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1,648°C to 5,537°C as they hit the atmosphere.
The meteors are called Perseids because they seem to dart out of the constellation Perseus.
Nasa has described it as the ‘best meteor shower of the year’ so it is not one to miss for sure. Here’s how to watch it.
People are advised to watch on from a dark place (Picture: Xinhua/Shutterstock)
How to see the Perseid shower?
The best piece of advice is to avoid well-lit and built-up areas and try to find unobstructed views.
Those who want the clearest view should ‘find a place that is dark’, Daniel Brown, associate professor in astronomy at Nottingham Trent University said.
It takes the average person 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, Daniel said.
He said: ‘Bring along patience, and it is best to observe a big range of the sky as meteors will be visible all over.
‘Best time this year during the main peak is the second half of the night, that is the early hours of August 13.’
If skies are visible in your part, it should be seen across the UK.
While they peak tonight, it is also worth keeping an eye out for a secondary peak, should it occur.
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