Perseids flying overhead - Spot a meteor shower before its peak

One of our users took an impressive photo at night in Germany: It shows the annual Perseid meteor shower, which is currently approaching its peak on August 12th.

Thousands of stars twinkle above the Baltic Sea, streaked by bright trails of burning meteors. Particularly impressive is the delicate greenish glow in the sky.

A rare phenomenon known as airglow, caused by chemical reactions at an altitude of around 90 kilometres.

Though peaking on the 12th, the Perseids have been active since July and this year the peak will not provide optimal conditions as it occurs days after a full moon.

There are widely clear skies across much of the UK and Ireland, outside of Scotland, with only a few areas seeing cloud cover.

This shower is one of the most active of the year. Find a location away from the light pollution of a city for an even better chance of spotting a shooting star.