Perseids meteor shower: When, where and how you can see it

There will be no moonlight to upstage the meteor shower because of the phase of the lunar cycle, so no binoculars or telescope will be needed. “Fortunately, in 2015, the waning crescent moon comes up shortly before sunrise, so you’re guaranteed of dark skies for this year’s Perseid meteor shower”.

The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak this week, but will the clouds cooperate for skywatchers?

This year the meteor watching should be especially good because the shower peaks between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, coinciding with the new moon.

An astronomical marvel is set to entertain and enthral Coventry and Warwickshire stargazers this month, with the Perseid meteor shower peaking in the coming week across the United Kingdom.

If our planet happens to pass through an unusually dense clump of comet debris, then an elevated number of meteors can be visible.

The geometry means you’ll see more meteors, just as you’ll see more bugs hitting the front windshield of the auto than the side or back windows.

This week sees its peak, with up to 50 meteors per hour available for your viewing in the night sky. You may wait minutes to see a meteor or a string of them seconds apart. The Earth crosses the orbital path of Swift-Tuttle about once a year during the summer, but the bulk of the comet’s debris typically rains down after the first week in August. But when comets enter our atmosphere they start shining like a Christmas tree and you have a wonderful show to watch. “If you don’t have one of those, you can always paint the clear filter with red fingernail polish”, NASA shared. It is even surmised that if the conditions are ideal, observers may be lucky enough to see up to 100 shooting stars in just an hour of skygazing.

The height of the shower takes place between 3 a.m. and dawn local time, but it is possible to see Perseids as early as 10:30 p.m. local time, said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.

To spot the shower, look for the constellation of Perseus in a northeast direction.

From the ground, this shower of meteors appears to originate from a single point, called a “radiant”, in the constellation of Perseus – hence the name.