Starwatch: Look out for the Perseids, the best meteor shower of the year

Shower peaks on the night of 12 to 13 August, when in ideal conditions as many as 100 meteors an hour can be seen

The Perseid meteor shower is widely regarded as the best of the year but better than that, it is happening this week.

Active from mid-July until the end of August, the shower peaks on the night of 12 to 13 August, when it can be possible to see as many as 100 meteors an hour streaking across the sky in all directions from the radiant point. From more urban environments, expect an average of as many as one a minute.