Discover how to observe the biggest meteor shower of the year

Don’t miss out on the Perseid meteor shower, one of the stargazing highlights of the year!

Published: August 4, 2020 at 9:55 am

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As it reaches its peak in mid-August, the Perseids will present an unmissable opportunity to observe increased rates of shooting stars. To help you prepare, BBC Sky at Night Magazine invite you to join astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel for an exclusive online event discussing all things meteors, followed by a live Q&A session.

The Perseid meteor shower presents a wonderful opportunity to find and photograph shooting stars, and they’ll give you all the advice you need to observe the annual spectacle – which is anticipated to peak around 12 August.

You’ll discover what makes the Perseids one of the best showers in terms of number of meteors seen, and why it is one of the most perennially popular events of the astronomical year. Our experts will also look at what’s going on out in space to create the spectacle we see here on Earth, with a discussion of the Perseids’ parent comet, 109P/Swift-Tuttle. You’ll be able to submit questions throughout the talk, and they’ll be put to the speakers in the second part of the presentation.

Secure your space now

This BBC Sky at Night Magazine Live virtual event takes place on Friday 7 August, 7pm (British Summer Time). Tickets cost just £10.

Discover how to observe the biggest meteor shower of the year
Discover how to observe the biggest meteor shower of the year

About the speakers

Pete Lawrence is a co-presenter on BBC Four’s The Sky at Night, and writes the monthly Sky Guide for BBC Sky at Night Magazine. An established astronomical tour guide, he is also an expert astrophotographer and recipient of the Royal Photographic Society’s Davies Medal for his contribution to the field of digital imaging science. He has been observing the Perseids since 1977.

Dr Paul Abel is theoretical physicist at the University of Leicester, where he is a teaching fellow in the prestigious Department of Physics and Astronomy. As a seasoned visual observer, Paul is the current director of the British Astronomical Association’s Mercury & Venus section. He writes regularly for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and has co-presented The Sky at Night alongside Sir Patrick Moore.