Perseid meteor shower to be visible tonight but clouds could obscure spectacular display

(NASA via Getty Images)

The world is to get another look at the Perseid meteor shower as it reaches its peak on Thursday night and Friday morning.

For those that get to see it, the shower offers perhaps the celestial highlight of the year, with bright and regular shooting stars that should be easily visible.

That is unless the cloud cover gets in the way and causes problems for viewers.

The Met Office provides an hourly cloud cover forecast in the UK, which can be used to find the times when the sky is likely to be clearest and the view best.

While the meteor shower is bright enough to get through light pollution, heavy cloud cover can block it out, meaning that there might be nothing to see at all.

It is also worth checking the weather because the best view can be achieved by staying out, looking up and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness – which will be much more comfortable on a warm night.

For anyone who misses the show, the shower will keep going even though the peak is reached tonight. It is nominally around until 23 August, though the chance of spotting a meteor will decrease the further away from the peak.

You can find the best time to see the meteor shower as well as the best place to look out for it on The Independent. You can also find everything you might want to know about the spectacle here.