What are the Perseids caused by?
“The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the Earth travelling through the debris left by a comet called Swift-Tuttle. The debris falls through the Earth's atmosphere and as it burns up you get the meteor shower display. It is one the fastest and brightest meteor showers of the year, so an astronomical highlight for stargazers.”
When is the meteor shower visible
“The Perseid meteor shower is active between 17 July and 24 August. It peaks on 12 August, but the light from the full Moon might make meteors harder to spot that night. There is a new Moon on 24 July, which could mean the dark skies provide great viewing opportunities – as long as there are no clouds!”
Where is the best place to look in the sky?
“The best place to view the Perseid meteor shower is in the North East near the constellation Perseus. While you can look at the whole sky and are likely to see a meteor, that's the target location in order to get the best viewing experience.”
Are there any apps or technology that can help you see the meteors?
“For me personally, I the best way to view the meteor shower is just with your naked eye because of the speed with which they move. But you could use Sky Guide or Stellarium or other stargazing apps to get a better viewing experience, to target the right regions of the sky to see the meteor shower.”