The peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower

The annual Perseid meteor shower is at its peak.

If you look at the skies on Friday night, you would be able see as many as 200 meteors streaking across the sky each hour.

The shooting stars are the result of debris left behind by the Swift-Tuttle comet, which passes close to Earth every 133 years.

The comet last passed through our solar system in 1992. As it did so, the Sun’s rays heated its frozen surface and released trillions of small particles.

The Earth passes through this debris once each year. The particles strike the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 200,000kmph and burn up, creating the dazzling bright streaks.

The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for at least 2,000 years and this year it peaks from August 11 to 13, but can be seen between mid-July and mid-August.