Perseid meteor shower: ESA capture peak of event
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Provided the conditions are right, Brits could be in for a fantastic light display as the Perseid Meteor Shower is forecast to light up the skies above the UK this coming week. Here’s everything you need to know to be in with a chance of seeing this spectacular shower.
The Perseid Meteor Showers are an annual highlight of the stargazing calendar.
Keen astronomers look to the skies in late July into August to try and catch a glimpse of this stunning display.
The Perseid Meteor Shower is caused by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle.
Lucky Brits may be able to see as many as 150 meteors an hour if the skies remain clear, according to Science Focus.
These showers occur annually and are usually seen in the UK in the summer.
How can you watch the shower?
Luckily you don’t need a telescope to watch the meteors as this display should be visible just by looking up at the sky.
Provided the conditions are clear enough the meteors should be seen across the UK until August 23 this year.
But the Perseids are forecast to peak on August 12 and 13.
This weekend could be one of your best chances of catching the shower, especially the evening of Sunday, August 8.
For the best time to view the showers, Brits should wait until the sky is at its darkest.
At this time of year that should be between midnight to 5am.
Avoid looking at your phone before you go outside to view the sky.
This should help your eyes to adjust to being able to view the display better.
It’s also worth letting your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 15 minutes.
This should enable you to see the dimmer meteors.
Where will you get the best view?
If possible head out of the city, tall buildings or even tall trees could block your view and the light pollution of settlements won’t help either.
The more remote you can get the better your view is likely to be.
If you can’t get away from a settlement completely you should turn away from lights such as lampposts and houses for the best results.
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