The Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak next Tuesday and Wednesday night with 20 times more shooting stars visible than a normal night.
Meteors will be visible from dusk until dawn and Astronomy Ireland is asking everyone in Ireland to help count the Perseids this year.
David Moore, the Editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine, said: “This has real scientific value as we only know how these meteor showers develop by members of the public counting them while they view the beautiful spectacle of nature that is a meteor shower.
“You do not need any telescopes or binoculars, just normal human eyesight, oh, and a clear sky, but a few clouds won’t spoil the view especially as you have all the hours of darkness to see them and this shower is known for producing some brilliant fireballs.
“I remember seeing one that light up the whole countryside like day-light for a few seconds.”
Astronomy Ireland has asked people to count how many they see every 15 minutes and send them to the address given on their astronomy.ie website.
