Perseid meteor shower to make up for disappointing blood moon

THE annual Perseid meteor shower will peak tonight when up to 70 shooting stars an hour will be visible in British skies.

Stargazers could be treated to an even more magnificent show than usual because the new moon will bring a darker sky. The Perseid meteors appear to come from a single point, known as the “radiant”, which is situated in the constellation Perseus, which gives the shower its name.

However, the “shower” is merely an effect of perspective similar to what motorists see when driving in heavy rain, as the meteors move parallel to each other. The radiant will be visible from around 10pm and at this time there will be the highest chance of seeing Earthgrazing meteors, the kind that skim the atmosphere and have long, blazing tails.

Observers can expect to see dozens of meteors per hour once darkness has fallen tonight.

The number of meteors will peak early on Monday when up to around 70 each hour should be visible.

Dr Chris North, a lecturer at Cardiff University, said: “Once the sun sets, providing the sky is clear, all you need do is head out to as dark a site as you can find. The best observing sites have no nearby lights, so tend to be away from towns and cities. “Sit or lie back, look up, and let your eyes adjust to the dark – this might take 10-20 minutes, but with clear, dark site you should see meteors streak across the sky every few minutes or so, perhaps more often if you’re lucky. The darker your site, the more meteors you are likely to see.”

The shower will be visible all over the UK as long as the skies are clear. It is expected to be a much more vivid spectacle than the recent blood moon, which was obscured by clouds for the majority of British stargazers.

The Perseids are active from midJuly to mid-August. If clouds do make viewing impossible this weekend, the showers will continue for a few days more with reduced activity.