Perseid PERFECTION
Summertime astronomy in the UK can be something of a bleary-eyed marathon, with late-night observing sessions to grasp anything that seems like darkness amid the glow of twilight. Every August, though, we get our reward for persevering through these months in the form of the Perseid meteor shower and this year – if the skies are clear – we should. get a decent show.
On the night of the shower’s peak, on 12 August, the Moon sets at around 22:30 BST (21:30 UT), which is well before the onset of astronomical darkness for much of the country; with no moonlight to wash out the sky, fainter meteors will be easier to spot. But what causes this wonderful celestial spectacle and what do you need to do to
