Perseid Meteor Shower To Burn Bright Over UK

The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak this week and stargazers are anticipating "ideal" conditions for the natural fireworks display.

For the first time since 2007 this coincides with an invisible new moon, which means many people should get a glimpse of the shooting stars due to exceptionally dark skies.

The Royal Astronomical Society said that although it is difficult to predict the number of visible meteors, at least one every few minutes can be expected on Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

The new moon will create "ideal dark sky conditions for meteor-spotting", the society said.

Meteors are particles, as small as a grain of sand, that enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speed and burn up.

Sky News Weather Producer Joanna Robinson said that at the moment, those in Northern Ireland and southern and eastern Scotland have a "good chance" of seeing the meteor shower.

She added: "The rest of Scotland will be cloudier, perhaps even fully overcast in the far northwest

"For England and Wales, it looks like cloud will increase from the south on Wednesday night ahead of a band of heavy rain reaching the South West.

"The far north of England will hold onto the clearest skies longest, perhaps even all night.

"For Ireland, there'll be a great chance of starry skies, but Donegal and the far south-east could be quite cloudy."

The Perseids appear each year as the Earth passes through debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.

As many as 100 meteors or more could be seen during the peak.

Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: "The thing about shooting stars is they're a wonderful free spectacle we can all enjoy, assuming clear skies.

"It's best to watch them from the countryside but even in town, these meteors are bright enough for a few to be visible."

Mr Scagell urged people to keep an eye out for the International Space Station, which is expected to be seen passing over the UK at around 10.30pm on Wednesday.

He said it will appear as the brightest thing in the sky, apart from aircraft.

The Royal Astronomical Society said the meteor shower will be easy to watch for most people, simply requiring the naked eye.

"Advice from experienced meteor observers is to wrap up well and set up a reclining chair to allow you to look up at the sky in comfort," it said.

"If possible it also helps to be in a dark place away from artificial light, and to have an unobstructed view of the sky."