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If you know astronomy, you’ll know that the Perseids is the fastest and brightest meteor shower that graces our skies each year. You may also know that it’s due to reach it’s peak very soon.
For several weeks each and every summer (it was first observed way back in 69BC), Perseids lights up our sky with hundreds of shooting stars (aka meteors), putting on a dazzling display for everyone here on Earth. It’s active for over a month and you may have spotted one or two meteors on a recent clear night, but Perseids is at its most dazzling on the night known as its ‘peak’.
Here’s what you need to know if you want the best possible view of the Perseids meteor shower from London.
What is the Perseid meteor shower?
Meteor showers are made up of debris from comets in our solar system. This particular shower stems from a comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle. The meteors crash into the Earth’s atmosphere at an average speed of 36 miles per second then vaporise, leaving glowing streaks of light behind them. Royal Museums Greenwich calls Perseids ‘one of the best meteor showers of the year’.
When will the Perseids be visible in London?
The shower has been active since July 17 and will continue until August 24. The best opportunity to see them will be when it reaches the maximum number of meteors of around 150 per hour (its ‘peak’) in mid-August.
When do they peak?
The exact day that the Perseids shower peaks will be Tuesday, August 12.
How can I watch?
Just look up. There’s no need for any special equipment – you should be able to see Perseids with the naked eye, so long as the conditions are good.
Obviously we’ll only be able to see the spectacle if the skies are clear. At this point, it’s too early to say exactly what the weather will be like on the night that the shower peaks. Right now, the Met Office says that between August 5 and August 19, London will see ‘spells of rain or showers mixed in with some drier, brighter days’.
It says that ‘there are signs that high pressure to the southwest may try to extend its influence across the UK, which could bring more in the way of dry, settled weather as we head further into August’, so things look hopeful.
If the sky is clear on the night, set yourself up somewhere with an unobstructed view of the sky and minimal light pollution. A hilly park like Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath or Morden Hall Park would be ideal.
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