The north-east of Scotland is predicted to be one of the best places in the UK to witness a breathtaking meteor shower tonight, according to forecasters.
Thanks to a brief window of clear skies over the region, the Met Office said that stargazers will have good chances of spotting the Perseid meteor shower this evening.
Perseid meteors, named after the Perseus star constellation from which they appear to from, flit through the skies above Earth every August as the planet passes through the debris of the comet Swift Turtle.
The phenomenon takes place between July 17 and August 24, and will hit is peak between late Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning, when up to 100 meteors per hour have been predicted.
The best way to spot the meteors is to gaze towards the Perseus constellation, between true north and around 69 degrees north in the night sky between the hours of 10pm and 4am, when conditions are darkest.
Robin Scagell, the vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: “The thing about shooting stars is they’re a wonderful free spectacle we can all enjoy, assuming summer skies.
“It’s best to watch them from the countryside but even in town these meteors are bright enough for a few to be visible.
“The moon is out of the way which makes a lot of difference because the sky will be much darker all night.
“For every bright shooting star you see there are always fainter ones, and this will make it easier to see the fainter meteors and ring up the numbers.
“The Perseids are usually fairly bright. Also, they tend to leave a trail, or train, behind them.
“You can see the train hanging there glowing in he sky for a few seconds, sometimes several minutes, after the meteor has gone.”