The Perseid meteor shower reached its peak on Sunday, with astronomers at the American Meteor Society and NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office advising Northern Hemisphere skywatchers to look up after midnight. The shower is expected to produce up to 100 meteors an hour under ideal conditions.

The Perseids occur every August as Earth passes through debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last approached the Sun in 1992. Particles no larger than grains of sand burn up in the upper atmosphere at roughly 59 kilometres per second, producing bright streaks and occasional fireballs. The radiant lies in the constellation Perseus.

Viewing conditions this year were complicated by moonlight, which would wash out fainter meteors in the pre-dawn hours. Robert Lunsford, operations manager at the American Meteor Society, recommended observers seek locations far from artificial light and allow their eyes to adjust for at least 30 minutes.

Public observatories and astronomy clubs in Britain, the United States and continental Europe organised overnight viewing events for the peak. The Royal Astronomical Society and NASA both promoted safe, equipment-free observation, noting that the meteors are best seen with the naked eye rather than telescopes or binoculars.

The Perseids remain among the most watched celestial events of the year because they coincide with warm summer nights across the Northern Hemisphere, drawing families and amateur astronomers outdoors in large numbers.