Perseids: After the eclipse, the year's most spectacular and popular shooting star night

Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere can anticipate a spectacular celestial display as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. Astronomers predict between 50 and 100 meteors streaking across the night sky every hour during the peak, which occurs between August 12 and 13.

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The meteors come from particles from comets and pieces of broken-up asteroids.

This year's event is particularly auspicious, with the new moon ensuring exceptionally dark skies. This lack of light pollution will enhance visibility, allowing the dazzling trails of the Perseids to shine brightly. The meteor shower, active from July 17 to August 24, is a perennial favorite due to its occurrence during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Perseids originate from debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet. As Earth passes through the comet's dusty trail, these fragments collide with our atmosphere at high speeds, burning up and creating the visible streaks of light. The comet completes its orbit around the sun every 133 years.

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When comets orbit the Sun, they leave behind a trail of dust.

These celestial visitors, varying in size from sand grains to peas, travel at approximately 59 kilometers per second. They appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which lends its name to the phenomenon. Experts advise looking towards the east, where Perseus rises in the early evening, to optimize viewing opportunities.

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Each year, the Earth passes through these trails of debris, which causes the pieces to collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate to create fiery, colorful streaks in the sky.