The Perseids meteor shower is the brightest meteor shower visible from earth. It happens every year between August 9th and 14th depending on the particular location of the stream. At it's peak the rate of meteors is around 60 per hour and they can be seen all across the sky.
The Perseids have been visible for about 2000 years and are associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle.
As with all meteor showers, they peak at pre-dawn hours. This is because the side of the Earth turning towards the sun gathers up most meteors as it moves through space.
Last night, August 12th was the time when the most meteors would be visible in one night. Here in in Cornwall the skies were overcast and so we did not see any; although other parts of the country had great views. Today 13th August, the skies are clear and so, fingers crossed they will be visible here in Cornwall tonight.
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UPDATE: August 14th 17.26: Clear skies across mid Cornwall last night ensured that I saw a few meteors between 11pm and just after 12am. So now I am satisfied !
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