You can spot the Perseid meteor shower until August 24 - what you need to know
NASA has dubbed the celestial event the 'most popular meteor shower of the year'
This week is your last chance to see the Perseids meteor shower, with fireballs expected to streak across the UK skies. The Royal Observatory has confirmed that the meteor shower, which began on July 17, will continue until August 24.
The intensity of such displays heightened last week and reportedly peaked last week on August 12. Yet, spectacular views are still possible until Sunday, with NASA dubbing it the 'most popular meteor shower of the year'.
This was also echoed by Dr Shyam Balaji, theoretical physicist, King’s College London, who added that it's an 'astronomical highlight' for many stargazers. He said: "The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the Earth travelling through the debris left by a comet called Swift-Tuttle.
"The debris falls through the Earth's atmosphere and as it burns up you get the meteor shower display. It is one the fastest and brightest meteor showers of the year, so an astronomical highlight for stargazers."
According to Bristol Live, astronomy enthusiasts are most likely to spot the Perseid meteor shower by looking up and North East, towards the Perseus constellation. This constellation, named after the Greek mythological hero Perseus, may resemble the rough outline of a man's body to some.
However, your ability to view both the constellation and the Perseid meteors will likely depend on the Moon's brightness. Experts at Starwalk suggest the Moon will be at 26.9% brightness today.
Dr Balaji continued: "The best place to view the Perseid meteor shower is in the North East near the constellation Perseus. While you can look at the whole sky and are likely to see a meteor, that's the target location in order to get the best viewing experience."
He later added: "For me personally, I the best way to view the meteor shower is just with your naked eye because of the speed with which they move.
"But you could use Sky Guide or Stellarium or other stargazing apps to get a better viewing experience, to target the right regions of the sky to see the meteor shower."
The Perseid meteor shower has been witnessed for nearly 2,000 years. It occurs when Earth passes through a debris field left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle.
The meteors themselves are remarkably tiny - no bigger than a grain of sand - and burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Racing at roughly 36 miles per second, these minuscule particles produce brilliant streaks of light across the heavens.
Taking their name from the constellation Perseus - thought to be where they originate - the Perseids are famous for their spectacular fireballs. These are characterised by massive bursts of light and colour that remain visible in the sky for longer than typical meteor trails.
Stargazing advice from the Royal Museums Greenwich adds: "Plan ahead and check the weather forecast. If it is likely to be inclement, find a different location or go out on a different day. The days leading up to the peak are usually better than the days after.
"Reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view. This could mean heading out to the countryside, a nearby park or even turning your back to street lamps if you're not able to go anywhere."
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