The Perseid meteor shower reached its peak overnight on Monday, with astronomers at NASA and the American Meteor Society predicting up to 100 meteors per hour under dark skies. The display favoured pre-dawn hours on August 11 and 12.

The Perseids occur each year as Earth passes through debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle, which last approached the Sun in 1992. Fragments strike the atmosphere at roughly 59 kilometres per second, producing bright streaks and occasional fireballs radiating from the constellation Perseus.

Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office in Huntsville, Alabama, said moonlight would interfere less than in recent years, improving visibility for observers away from city lights. The Royal Astronomical Society and planetariums in Europe published viewing guides recommending rural sites, dark-adapted eyes and naked-eye observation, since telescopes restrict the field of view.

Astronomy educators used the peak to promote public engagement, with observatories in the United States, United Kingdom and India hosting watch events and livestreams for those facing cloud cover or light pollution. The Perseids remain among the most widely observed astronomical events of the year.

Forecasters cautioned that clear skies are essential and viewing is best after midnight when the radiant rises higher in the northeast.