THE Island’s skies are poised to light up tonight (Thursday) due to the peak of a meteor shower.

The Perseid shower, which happens annually, makes for fascinating viewing - weather permitting.

Howard Parkin, chairman of the Isle of Man Astronomical Society, said: "The Perseid meteor shower starts in late July and finishes in late August.

"It has a sharp peak, which is tonight, so it is the best chance to see the most meteors."

This year the peak activity of the shower coincides with a new moon, meaning the sky will be much darker than normal, giving better visibility.

Mr Parkin added: "The best time to see them is after midnight, but this doesn’t mean you won’t see them before.

“It is absolutely critical to be in a very dark location or you won’t see as much. The most important thing to remember is that your eyes need to be dark adapted. Spend at least five to 10 minutes outside to let your eyes adjust."

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. When the Earth passes through this debris, made up of rock and dust fragments, the particles collide with the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating a startling streak of light across the sky.

These meteors are called the Perseids because they appear to fly out of the constellation Perseus.

Mr Parkin continued: "It will not be a meteor storm; it is the peak of the meteor shower, so you may only see one or two each minute, which is lucky.

"The best place to look is at the northeast horizon, but if you have hills or something else in the way, just look literally in a north or northeast direction."