Stargazers get your winter coats on and prepare for a night of anticipation because the Perseids meteor shower is hitting its peak tonight and clear skies mean we could be in for one hell of a view.
The Perseids meteor shower comes along each year between mid-July and the end of August and tonight marks the point in which it will be most active in our atmosphere, with scientists estimating that there will be up to 100 meteors an hour visible in the skies tonight. It also coincides with a new moon, meaning that the sky will be clear for the meteors to show up without any glare from the moon overshadowing them.
The best time to see any activity will be from 11pm tonight up until tomorrow morning at 6am, but that is dependent on cloud cover and light pollution wherever you are.
Of course, the best way to view the shower is to get as far away as possible from towns and cities and the light pollution they emit, so rural areas are the place to be.
As for the weather, today has been spectacularly clear in most parts of the country, so if it holds up until midnight tonight we could be in for quite a treat. Met Éireann have forecast that tonight will be "dry with clear spells" with temperatures between six and nine degrees, so get those layers out and get comfy.
Via Metro
