The Perseids - which are pieces of Comet Swift-Tuttle - are active each year from around 17 July to 24 August, although for most of that period only a few meteors an hour are visible. Prof Mark Bailey, the director of Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, said the Perseids were "one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year". Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine, added: "The nearly moonless sky this year means the viewing will be excellent." Marek Kakula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory said the comet dust would be "travelling faster than the speed of a bullet". "When when they hit the atmosphere, they burn up in a little streak of light that lasts for just a few seconds. But because there's lots of them, we might get quite a good display," he added. For most people, meteor showers are best viewed with the naked eye. Experts advise finding a dark location, away from artificial light, and an unobstructed view of the sky.