Stargazers across the UK were treated to a dazzling sight in the early hours of Wednesday as the Perseid meteor shower hit its annual peak.
The Perseids light up the sky every summer and are said to be one of the most dramatic spectacles to witness in the night sky at this time of year.
According to Royal Museums Greenwich, which includes the Royal Observatory, the annual meteor shower’s period of activity runs from 17 July to 24 August this year, but hit its peak on the night of Tuesday 12 August.
Around 150 meteors crossed the sky per hour, but that amount was not visible because the horizon blocks a full view of the sky, said Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Dr Ed Bloomer.
A view of the sky shows the Perseid meteor shower captured with long-exposure photography in Giresun, Turkey, on Tuesday night. (Getty)
However, an estimated 100 meteors could be seen per hour in certain locations that are particularly flat and dark.
Visible to the naked eye, the chances of spotting the shower are dependent on the weather, with the glow of the moon unfortunately washing out the fainter meteors.
The weather was largely clear on Tuesday, but early in the week, August’s almost-full waning moon meant conditions were “unfortunately not favourable” for seeing the peak, said Royal Museums Greenwich.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
Meteor showers form when the Earth passes through dust and debris left by asteroids or comets, causing specks as small as a grain of dust or rice to flare up under the pressure of the planet’s atmosphere, creating shooting stars.
The Perseids are from a comet called Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years, and have been seen for almost 2,000 years. They are named after the constellation Perseus, from which they appear to originate. The average speed of a Perseid meteor is 36 miles per second.
The Perseid meteor shower seen above a monument commemorating the fighting of the Bosnian War in Proskok, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Reuters)
When is the best time to watch the Perseid meteor shower?
The period of activity for the Perseids goes on until 24 August but, according to Royal Museums Greenwich, the best time to see them was between midnight on Tuesday (12 August) and 5:30am on Wednesday (13 August), when the hourly rate was predicted to hit 150.
People will be able to spot many bright fast meteors that have trains, it says.
It advises: “The radiant of the Perseids is actually always above the horizon as seen from the UK, which means that observers 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.
“It is always ideal to try to spot meteors when the moon is below the horizon or when it is in its crescent phase, otherwise it acts as natural light pollution and prevents the fainter meteors from being visible.”
A previous Perseid meteor shower seen over the North York Moors National Park. (Getty Images)
Dr Bloomer said the meteor shower is likely to be in the north-east as the sun is going down.
“However, it’s not available to everybody, because the further south you go… Perseid is lower and lower on the horizon,” he said.
“The primary interest is for Northern Hemisphere observers – Perseid is pretty low for us here in the UK, but it is above the horizon… in fact, it’s above the horizon all day, but the problem is, of course, during the day, nothing’s going to be visible.”
Despite it being more visible in the north “the dominant thing is going to be, can you get yourself in a dark location”, he added.
“Getting into the middle of a field in the south east of England, in London, is going to be better than being in the middle of Aberdeen.”
A meteor streaks across the night sky in Austria during the Perseid meteor shower in 2024. (Getty)
Anyone attempting to see them on Wednesday evening may be hindered by thunderstorms, according to Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri.
“By the evening, there is an increased risk of thunderstorms across northern areas, with the potential for some fairly wet weather,” he said.
“Whilst the exact location for these unsettled conditions remains uncertain, it’s possible a warning may be issued closer to the time.”
Clearer skies are expected in the south later in the week, but the weather bureau predicted “cloudier conditions and some patchy rain” for parts of the north.
How can I watch the Perseid meteor shower?
It’s possible to look for the Perseids wherever you are, says Royal Museums Greenwich, but certain places will up your chances of seeing meteors.
A good tip is to reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view, it says, which could mean heading to the countryside, a park, or even just turning your back on street lamps.
Dr Bloomer said “we have lots of chances to see this” but “you have to let your eyes adjust to the dark”.
He recommended stargazers wait half an hour to let their eyes get used to it, adding: “Take a camping chair or something – if you had one, you would just sit down, and you would just relax, and you would just wait.
This year the Perseid peak coincides with the August full moon, known as the Sturgeon Moon. (Getty)
“You want to get away from city lights, you want to get away from street lamps.“If you’re looking out from your garden – it sounds obvious – but switch the kitchen light off, give yourself time to just put the phone away.”
Despite it being more visible in the north “the dominant thing is going to be, can you get yourself in a dark location”, he said, adding: “Getting into the middle of a field in the south east of England, in London, is going to be better than being in the middle of Aberdeen.”
People struggling to see the meteors can turn and watch through their peripheral vision as it is “a little bit better with low light conditions”, he said.
As it is summer, viewers will also have to wait until relatively late at night for it to be dark enough to see the celestial show. He added: “For us, it’s kind of one of the best (meteor showers), it’s kind of reliable, it’s long lived, it’s quite dense… it’s pretty active.
The meteors will also seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus, so if you use a stargazing app, you can find the right location to look at.