Yahoo News Perseid meteor shower to light up UK skies tonight and the best places to see it
There could be as many as 100 meteors per hour visible tonight (August 12) as a display of celestial fireworks is expected to light up the night skies.
This is due to the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, which occurs when Earth passes through trails of debris from comets or asteroids. As this debris hits our atmosphere, it creates bright streaks of light that can be seen in the night sky.
While meteors are visible every night, this particular shower offers better visibility, meaning more meteors can be seen. If skies are clear, it should be visible across the UK from around sunset on the night of August 12 until the early hours of August 13 and some experts predict that viewers could see 100 or more per hour.
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The event is associated with the dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. The meteoroids from the comet, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 36 miles per second, to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.
Peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1,648C to 5,537C as they hit the atmosphere. The meteors are called Perseids because they seem to dart out of the constellation Perseus.
Daniel Brown, associate professor in astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, said: "The meteor shower slowly builds up from mid July to then reach its peak activity at 100 per hour on August 12. It then reduces until the mid-end of August.
"However, in reality, the activity can show more complex variation which means the peak might not be the only one. The years 2018 and 2020 had some increased activity a day or two after the main peak.
"So in addition to meteor showers not being a one-evening thing – slowly increasing and then decreasing over days – we might see that the most active evening might be followed by another one a day or two later."
To make the most of the meteors, experts say observers should avoid well-lit and built-up areas and try to find unobstructed views.
Prof Brown said: "Best time this year during the main peak is the second half of the night, that is the early hours of August 13. Find a place that is dark, away from direct light.”
He said it will take viewers up to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Prof Brown added: "Bring along patience, and it is best to observe a big range of the sky as meteors will be visible all over."
How can you watch the Perseid meteor shower?
Tonight will mark one of the highest dates of visibility of the shower. The peak falls on the night of August 12 and before dawn on August 13.
The Moon will set below the horizon at around 10.30pm, so there will be minimal light pollution. The best time to see the Perseids is between midnight and 5.30am.
Nevertheless, the radiant of the Perseids is actually always above the horizon as seen from the UK. This means those in the UK should be able to see some meteors as soon as the sun sets.
Therefore, it is worth looking up in the early evening tonight. Stargazing apps can help you find the exact location you should look towards.
The general guidance is to get to the darkest location you can with a wide, unobstructed view as the meteors can appear in any section of the sky. The darker it is where you are, the better chance you'll have of seeing the meteors and you should give your eyes at least half an hour to adapt to the night.
Dr Brown said: “Fill your view with as much of the sky as you possibly can, lying down or using a deck chair and then just wait and allow your eyes to adapt to the dark and eventually, fingers crossed, if it's nice and clear and you're watching for an hour or so, you should at least be able to catch a handful.”
Where is the best place to watch it?
BBC weather forecasters have said viewing conditions are expected to be especially good on the east side of the UK. However, it is predicted that the first half of the night will clear skies in most of England.
Elizabeth Rizzini said: "The clearest skies will be in eastern Scotland as well as most of England and Wales for the first half of the night. It will be clearer in eastern Scotland and southern England for the second half of the night."
