Perseids meteor showers set to light up Suffolk skies with up to 100 shooting stars every hour

Stargazers will be in for a treat as the ‘best meteor showers of the year’ peaks this weekend.

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most dramatic things to see in the night sky between July and August.

It is active between July 17 and August 24. It peaks August 12-13.

It is one of the highlights of many meteor hunters’ calendars due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.

It is called the Perseids because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus.

Astronomers call this point the meteor shower’s radiant.

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, observers can look out for the shower wherever they are.

It will reach its peak on Saturday evening and into the early hours of Sunday morning.

It should still be pretty spectacular up to Wednesday next week.

There are certain kinds of places however that will increase your chances of spotting meteors.

The organisation advises to plan ahead to reduce the amount of light pollution in your field of view.

This could mean heading out to the countryside, a nearby park or even do something as simple as turning your back to street lamps if you are not able to go anywhere.

Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust to the dark so that you can catch more of the fainter meteors.

Meteors can appear in any part of the sky so the more sky you can see the better.

Find an area with a clear view of the horizon and away from trees and buildings.

Binoculars and telescopes are not necessary as they will restrict the size of the sky that will be visible to you.