Perseid meteor shower 2025: Shooting stars to be visible across UK - when, best timings to see and how to watch
Shooting stars will be visible across UK in the annual Perseid meteor shower.
Every summer the Earth slams into a trail of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet that also orbits the Sun. Specks as small as a grain of dust or rice flare up under the pressure of the planet’s atmosphere to create shooting stars, said Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Dr Ed Bloomer.
Around 150 meteors will cross the sky per hour but that amount will not be visible because the horizon blocks a full view of the sky, he added. However, an estimated 100 meteors could be seen per hour in certain locations that are particularly flat and dark.
The meteor shower has been running for a few weeks and will continue until around August 24, the astronomer told the PA news agency. He said this means that “we have lots of chances to see this” but “you have to let your eyes adjust to the dark”.
When is the best time to see the Perseid meteor shower in the UK?
The best time to see the Perseids is between 12am and 5.30am. The second the Sun sets, the Perseids will be visible, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
How to watch in UK
You might assume you need telescopes and binoculars, but you only need your eyes to see the hundreds of colourful streaks. This expensive kit can obscure your vision, making just looking up the best option.
Find somewhere as dark as possible, with a clear horizon, and give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, so maybe dig out a deckchair. How many meteors you’ll be able to see, however, depends a lot on where in the UK you live.
The shower will be visible everywhere in the UK, like most of the northern hemisphere. Tools like this one from the Global Meteor Network show how many meteors per hour will be visible.