Tonight is the perfect night to see a spectacular metoer shower in the skies of Milton Keynes

The Perseid meteor shower is caused fragments from Comet Swift-Tuttle burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere once a year.

And Milton Keynes-based local charity UK Astronomy advises that tonight (Monday) will be the perfect time to witness it.

They say the best view will be during the first half of the night, after around 10.45pm, when the skies are at their clearest.

A spokesperson said: “Although the Perseids run through the month of August as our planet goes through a dust lane made from a comet, tonight is an excellent night to take a look. These next few nights are said to host the most meteors in one night, best seen after 11pm as the sky darkens and the constellation they're named after, Perseus, rises higher in the sky.”

They added: “This year's shower is particularly good because the Moon will be out of the way, setting around 10:45pm just in time for the meteors to come into view. With around 65 meteors per hour, some have predicted up to 100, but I myself have seen 67 in one sitting.

“It's well worth popping out tonight or the next few nights to spot these bits of comet dust burning and streaking across our skies. Give yourself at least 20 minutes to adjust your eyes to the darkness and enjoy the show.

“UK Astronomy encourages everyone to take this opportunity to connect with the universe above us. Remember, you don't need any special equipment - just your eyes and a bit of patience!”