Perseid fireballs meet a solar eclipse for a skywatching spectacle

The Perseids meteor shower, debris from comet Swift-Tuttle, could produce 50–100 bright meteors per hour under ideal skies and will coincide with a solar eclipse this August. A new Moon means darker skies for better viewing, with the best chance to see meteors after dusk toward Perseus in the northern sky. In the UK, eclipse timings range from about 6:08 pm to 8:10 pm local time, with maximum around 7:05–7:15 pm; viewers are advised to use eclipse glasses for safety.