Stargazers will be able to enjoy the annual Perseid meteor shower as it is set to flare across the night sky this week.
The Perseid meteor shower will peak on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, producing up to 60 shooting stars per hour.
According to astronomer Gary Boyle, the shower is a result of the Earth-orbiting through a debris field from the Swift-Tuttle Comet, a 26-kilometre wide mass made up of ice and rock.
"It's one of the best meteor showers of the year," said Boyle.
The Perseid meteor shower has been underway since last month but it will hit its peak on August 12 to 13 when it enters the heaviest debris field. Boyle said the meteor shower will last until August 24.
"The show will be visible from all angles and at all hours of the night," said Boyle. "The later in the night, from midnight to and on, the constellation Perseus will be higher in the sky and that is when you will see 50 to 60 per hour."
Boyle said the moon will set within a couple of hours after sunset, leaving stargazers with a dark sky to watch the meteor shower.
"By contrast, next year’s Perseids takes place under a full moon, drastically reducing the hourly rate. be near peak brightness that night which may make it a little more difficult to see than it normally would be."
Although there are dozens of smaller meteor showers each year, Boyle said this one stands out for the sheer amount of meteors that it produces.
