How not to miss this weekend's meteor shower

This weekend, eager astronomers will be scanning the night skies in expectation of a dazzling celestial light show. The Perseid meteor shower, so-called because meteors appear to be radiating from the constellation of Perseus, is an annual event that has been observed for more than 2,000 years.

"The meteors are formed when the Earth passes through the orbit of the Swift-Tuttle comet," explains Professor Ian Morison, astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Observatory. "Essentially, a comet is a dirty snowball and, when it passes the sun, the ice turns to gas and releases dust particles. If the Earth passes through a comet's orbit, those particles are swept up into our atmosphere. As they are moving at about 20,000 miles an hour, they have a lot of energy and it makes them glow."

While many people (including Morison) headed to China for an optimum view of the recent solar eclipse, the prime location for Perseid spotting is closer to home: your back garden. "There's no ideal geographical point to see the Perseids, but there are optimum conditions to see as many shooting stars as possible," says Morison. "First, find somewhere dark, away from street lights if possible. If you're in a city, then head to the east side so you're not looking over the city's lights. Then you want to look towards the constellation of Perseus in the east of a clear night sky after midnight." It could start anytime from tomorrow and go on until August 14.

Jodrell Bank is hosting a sold-out Perseid Meteor Shower party this Saturday, featuring a barbecue, some skilled pointing towards the sky and, if things go well, lots of oohing. "My personal best with the Perseids is 75 in an hour, but given the right conditions, you could see hundreds - possibly thousands - of shooting stars if it develops into a meteor storm," says Morison. So come midnight, go into your back garden and brace yourself for a hot-dust spectacular.