Perseid meteor shower to light up Irish skies tonight with up to 100 shooting stars an hour

Up to 100 meteors an hour: Ireland to witness peak of Perseid shower tonight

Shooting stars will be visible across Ireland on Tuesday night as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.

The Perseids, named because they seem to burst out of the constellation Perseus, are one of the highlights of the year for skygazers due to their high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August each summer.