Best meteor show of the year tonight: How to see the Perseid shower in Ireland 

Everything you need to know about the meteor display in our skies, with up to 60 meteors an hour visible tonight as celestial spectacular reaches its peak

A meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in West Virginia. Picture: Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP

If you’re looking for a spectacle, turn your eyes to the sky tonight to catch a glimpse of meteors.

The Perseid showers have been overhead all week, but clouds have obscured much of our views thus far. Tonight the shower reaches its peak, with up to 60 meteors per hour being visible to the naked eye, appearing like natural fireworks in the sky. Weather forecasts suggests there will be enough clear spells to see the meteors. 

What is a Perseid shower?

The Perseid meteor showers take place annually when the planet crosses the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle, causing tiny particles ejected from the comet to burn up in our atmosphere. These leave “shooting-star” trails that can be seen from the ground - as long as the clouds don’t obscure our view. Tonight the spectacle will reach its peak, with up to 60 meteors an hour expected to be visible.

Will the sky be clear enough tonight?

Murphy’s Law says no, but Met Éireann offers some hope. While a status yellow wind warning is in place for parts of the country this afternoon, skies will be clear in parts of Munster overnight, hopefully long enough to offer the sight of the natural phenomenon. 

However, a few clouds need not ruin your night. David Moore of Astronomy Ireland says we will have plenty of opportunities to see the Perseids. “You do not need any telescopes or binoculars, just normal human eyesight and a clear sky, but a few clouds won't spoil the view especially as you have all the hours of darkness to see them and this shower is known for producing some brilliant fireballs. I remember seeing one that light up the whole countryside like daylight for a few seconds.” 

Today's #AstroChallenge offers tips on how to make the most of the Perseid meteor shower in Dark Skies. #DarkSkyTuesday pic.twitter.com/e7a7fQgWNo

— MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory (@blackrockcastle) August 10, 2021

When can I see them?

Once it’s dark you should be able to see the meteor shower. Tonight’s moon will be a thin crescent which will set early in the night, so there will be a lot less moonlight than in other years meaning the Perseids will be more visible than ever. 

We are expecting the best view tonight since the 2015 shower, the last year there was no bright moonlight to interfere with the view. "People should expect to see 20 times more meteors than a normal night, that's one or two per minute, and many of them will be bright fireballs," says Moore.

Where should I watch them from?

Anywhere with an unobstructed view of the sky. Niall Smith of Blackrock Castle Observatory says you should spend up to 20 minutes outdoors first without phones or other light sources so your eyes can adjust to the darkness to allow you to see as much as possible through the darkness.

He writes in his Sky Matters column: “Perseids can appear anywhere in the sky and do so without warning, so ideally you should sit or lie comfortably and just look upwards. Even in August it can get cold, so do wrap up warmly. I find a hot water bottle to be very helpful.”