Perseids meteor shower: stargazers told to head north

The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Photograph: Ali Jarekji/Reuters

Stargazers should head to the Midlands, the north of England and north-west Scotland for the best views of the annual Perseids meteor shower tonight.

The shower happens as the Earth passes through debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet, with around 80 to 100 meteors an hour raining down as the small particles collide with and burn up in the atmosphere.