Exact date Perseid meteor shower to reach ‘peak' as stunning displays to dazzle Scots skies
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STARGAZERS are in for a treat as the Perseid meteor shower is set to peak over Scotland.
The skies will be filled with shooting stars in what has been dubbed one of the most "dramatic" events on the cosmic calendar.
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The Perseid meteor shower will peak over Scotland this week
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Stargazers could see up to 150 meteors every hour
Credit: Alamy
Scores of bright meteors will soar through the air later this week as part of the celestial special.
The Perseids are visible between July and August every year.
People with their eyes on the skies will get the chance of seeing up to 150 shooting stars every hour.
This year the meteor shower was visible between July 17 and August 13.
And experts have revealed they will peak and be most visible tomorrow night, August 12.
Astronomers at Royal Museums Greenwich reckon the meteors will be travelling 36 miles every SECOND.
The shower is caused by debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle burning up as it hits the atmosphere.
Meteors are caused by pieces of space debris breaking off as it is warmed up by the sun.
The space debris then collides with Earth's atmosphere.
They either vaporise and leave trails of light or blast into fireballs soaring across the night sky.
Spectacular Celestial Display: Northern Lights & Perseid Meteor Shower Over Scotland
Royal Museums Greenwich said: "As comets get close to the sun, they heat up and pieces break off.
"If the debris ends up in the Earth's path around the sun, it can slam into our atmosphere at speeds of between 7–45 miles per second.
"The actual speed at which a meteor enters our atmosphere depends on the combined speed of the earth and the debris itself.
"The average speed for a Perseid meteor is 36 miles per second. The air in front of the meteor is squashed and heated to thousands of degrees Celsius.
How to see the Perseid meteor shower
CHECK THE WEATHER FIRST: Don't bother going out if it's going to be cloudy!
GET AWAY FROM THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: Head to the countryside or a park. If you can't, turn your back on streetlights.
DITCH THE PHONE! Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to get used to the dark.
LOOK UP AND TAKE IT ALL IN: Find a spot with a clear view of the whole sky. You don't need a telescope or binoculars.
USE AN APP TO FIND THE BEST SPOT: The meteors will seem to come from the Perseus constellation.
"The smaller meteors vaporise and leave behind a bright trail of light. Larger meteors can explode as fireballs."
Last year, stargazers were in for a special treat when the Perseids peaked.
The skies across Scotland on August 12 2024 were the perfect condition for a duel phenomenon.
Scots got to get a great look at the Perseids AND the northern lights.
The stunning celestial display - also known as Aurora Borealis - is caused when radiation ejected from the sun reacts with the Earth's atmosphere.
It results in a dazzling spectacle of pink and green lights dancing across the night sky.
They are sometimes visible from more rural parts of the country.
But last year the aurora was so strong more urban places got to see them.
The northern lights were visible in some areas which almost NEVER get to see them.
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