Perseid meteor shower: When will be the best chance to see the meteor shower in Scotland?

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the highlights of the year for many sky gazers, but cloud cover made it difficult to witness the sky show in Scotland on Saturday night

Stargazers are expected to have their best chance of witnessing the Perseid meteor shower in Scotland on Sunday night.

The Perseid meteor shower is one of the highlights of the year for many sky gazers due to its high hourly rate and bright meteors, caused by the Earth slamming into the debris left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle in July and August every year.

However, many of those who turned out to see the meteors would have been disappointed, with cloudy weather covering much of the UK, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, on Saturday night.

Those in Scotland could have the best chance of seeing the Perseid meteor shower on Sunday night. Picture: Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

Greg Dewhurst, from the Met Office, said the best place to watch the showers on Saturday night was “eastern parts of England, overall”.

He said disappointed stargazers in Scotland and Northern Ireland may have better luck on Sunday night.

“Tonight, most likely Northern Ireland and Scotland will see some clear breaks, but there’s still quite a lot of cloud around,” he said. “So for most of the UK, it will be quite a cloudy night.”

He said August 12 and 13 were the peak of the showers. “They start easing after today,” he added.

It is called the Perseids because the meteors seem to originate from the constellation of Perseus. The shower is considered one of the best of the year because it produces bright meteors and is one of the most active.

There is also a high chance of seeing fireballs, which are very bright meteors, as well as meteors with long trains.

According to the Royal Astronomical Society, meteor showers are easy to watch and no special equipment is needed. Experts suggest it is better to try to spot meteors when the Moon is below the horizon or when it is in its crescent phase, because otherwise it acts as natural light pollution and will prevent the fainter meteors from being visible.

The shower will continue until August 24.