Peak of meteor showers has passed, but still a chance to see shooting stars and here's how
Editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine David Moore told the Irish Independent pictures of the meteor shower's peak have been flying in, and the Perseids will still be visible in Irish skies for a few more nights.
"The peak was expected to be last night, and on the peak night you see 20 times more shooting stars than normal. On the night after and the night before, it's about half that rate.
"That's still 10 times more meteors than on a normal night, so it's still well worth watching. Tomorrow night, it will be half that again, so a quarter of the peak, but still five times more meteors than normal.
"I'll certainly be watching again tonight, tomorrow, and probably the night after.'
To get the best viewing experience, stargazers should wait until the sky is fully dark, face away from the moon to avoid glare and make sure there are no obstructions along the horizon.
Mr Moore said a phenomenon known as a 'double planet' is also visible in Irish skies at the moment, with Venus and Jupiter lined up together and appearing bright in the sky.
"Jupiter is actually five times further than Venus, so they're not really passing close to one another. This morning, you had Venus blazing 100 times brighter than the brightest star in the sky and Jupiter sitting just above it, a little bit dimmer, but still dozens of times brighter than the brightest star."
Having used computers to look ahead to 2050, Mr Moore said there will not be another time when Jupiter and Venus will line up this closely and be visible over Ireland, making this a 'once in a century or once in a lifetime event'.
"It really is spectacular to the naked eye. We've had some pictures sent in that were just taken with a phone camera, so there's no special equipment needed.
"I've never seen anything like it in my lifetime and I've been watching the sky for decades.'
The double planet will continue to be visible for the next few mornings and Mr Moore said the best time to look at them will be in the early hours of the morning.
"About 4am is the best time every morning during the coming week. Next Wednesday, they'll still be close and the moon will join the scene. The only things brighter than Venus and Jupiter are the sun and the moon. That's going to be a very special morning to watch.'
Big events in the world of astronomy are coming like buses according to Mr Moore, with another chance to see something special coming on Sunday, September 7.
"On September the 7th, there's going to be a total eclipse of the moon visible from Ireland, so when the moon rises that evening there will be a blood moon.'
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