The night skies over the UK have been glowing with celestial beauty in recent days as the annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak.
Known for producing some of the brightest meteors of the year, the Perseids are created when tiny dust particles shed by the Swift-Tuttle comet collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up in brilliant flashes of light.
On the night of 13 August, at the height of the display, astronomers from Astro Dog, a small Scarborough-based astronomy business, captured the spectacle in stunning detail from the North York Moors National Park.
The location, far from the light pollution of urban areas, offered a pristine backdrop for observing the meteors as they streaked across the sky.
To maximise the clarity and brightness of their footage, the team employed specialised equipment, including a camera with an exceptionally sensitive sensor and a large aperture.
They positioned it 45 degrees away from the meteor shower’s “radiant point” – the part of the sky from which the meteors appear to originate – to improve visibility and coverage.
“We’ve been chasing the Perseids for years, but this was one of the most rewarding displays we’ve seen,” an Astro Dog spokesperson said. “The conditions were near-perfect, and the meteors were bright enough to be visible even to the naked eye.”
The Perseid meteor shower is an annual highlight for stargazers worldwide, occurring each August as the Earth passes through the debris trail of comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower is famous for producing up to 100 meteors per hour at its peak under ideal viewing conditions.
While the peak has now passed, there is still time to catch the Perseids before they fade. According to Astro Dog, the meteors will remain active until 24 August, offering more opportunities for photographers, amateur astronomers, and casual sky-watchers to witness the event.
Experts recommend finding a dark, open location away from artificial lights for the best chance of seeing the meteors. No telescope or binoculars are necessary, as the Perseids are best viewed with the naked eye to capture the widest possible field of vision.
This year’s display has been particularly impressive, with many observers reporting long-lasting, bright trails and occasional bursts of colour. For those unable to view the shower in person, Astro Dog has shared its footage online, giving the public a chance to experience the magic from home.
As the summer nights draw on, astronomers urge enthusiasts not to miss the last days of the Perseids. “It’s a reminder,” Astro Dog’s spokesperson added, “that there’s a whole universe of beauty above us – we just have to look up.”
