Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its peak tonight with up to 150 shooting stars an hour

If you love stargazing, make sure to keep your eyes on the night sky tonight.

This evening, the Perseid Meteor Shower will hit its spectacular peak – and you won’t want to miss it.

At its peak, lucky viewers could see up to 150 shooting stars flashing across the sky every hour.

With the Met Office predicting clear skies and warm temperatures for much of the UK, this could be the perfect opportunity to watch the year’s most famous meteor shower.

While the glow from the recent full Sturgeon Moon might make some of the fainter streaks harder to see, you should still get an amazing view from anywhere in the UK.

mLu.fotos from Germany, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The best part is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to enjoy the display.

All you need is a dark spot away from bright lights, somewhere comfy to sit or lie down, and a little patience.

Here’s how to give yourself the best chance of seeing tonight’s incredible meteor show.

Although the Perseid Meteor Shower can be breathtaking, some of the smaller meteors can still be faint.

Dr Shyam Balaji from King’s College London told the Daily Mail: “Find a dark location far from streetlights or city glare. The countryside or a park with a clear view of the sky works best.”

It’s also important to let your eyes adjust fully to the darkness so you can spot even the faintest meteors.

Jim Vajda from Oxford, Ohio, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Dr Balaji says that means avoiding phone screens or torches for at least 20 to 30 minutes, as they can ruin your night vision.

Because it’s summer, you’ll need to wait until at least 10:00pm before the sky is dark enough to see anything clearly.

Meteor showers are usually more impressive after midnight when the sky is at its darkest, so plan for a late night if you want the best show.

Once you’re settled in and your eyes are used to the dark, simply look up, relax, and wait for the shooting stars to appear.

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