Clear skies expected over Deeside for the peak of this years Perseid meteor shower
Deeside is set to enjoy a fantastic night of stargazing on Wednesday as the annual Perseid Meteor shower peaks.
For the first time since 2007, the meteor shower coincides with a new moon meaning hundreds of meteors will be more visible in the darker night sky as the moon will be at its dimmest.
The Met Office say clear conditions over Deeside tonight will give us a great opportunity to see the shower, clear skies are also expected for the peak on Wednesday and Thursday according to latest forecasts.
The annual August Perseid shower is perhaps the most well-known meteor shower of the year and lasts until around August 26.
On a clear, dark and moonless night, we should be able to see between 50 and 100 meteors per hour, streaking at about 37 miles per second.
Meteor shower-watching tips:
- Find an open location away from bright lights and other light pollution.
- Sit or lie down on something comfortable and try to fill your entire peripheral vision with the night sky.
- Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. This can take up to 20 minutes and can be disrupted by looking at a bright phone or tablet screen.
- Be patient. Give yourself anywhere between 30 minutes and an hour, and the streaking meteors should be easily spotted against the still night sky once your eyes are fully adjusted.
- Don’t worry about using telescopes or binoculars. Those devices may actually make it harder for you to see meteors,as they only cover a small portion of the sky. You should be able to easily see the shower with the naked eye.
