The annual Perseid meteor shower happens in the months of July and August and peaks around mid-August. The Perseids are among the brightest meteor showers, visible with the naked eye, and probably the best known. Gran Canaria’s clear summer skies and favourable weather conditions makes it a great spot for nighttime outings, with very low light pollution and easily accessible star gazing.

Did you know that observations of Perseids go back at least two thousand years?

The Perseids meteor shower is essentially debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle and named after the constellation Perseus,  from which direction they appear to come.

Try to get a good view of the northern sky, find a spot with no light pollution, grab a blanket, even a picnic and
“Look at the stars, look how they shine for you”

The sky-live.tv channel will be broadcasting the maximum of the Perseids from the Canary Observatories, once again this year, on the night of 12th to 13th August, when meteor activity is estimated to reach a rate of 100 per hour. You can watch the live feed on 13 August 00:15 local time in the Canary Islands from Youtube: https://youtu.be/RgD0w7TAmqE

In 2021 the Perseids meteor shower occurs between 17 July and 24 August. The maximum is expected in the early hours of 12-13 August. The best nights to enjoy will be between 11 and 14 August. Also this year, the low brightness of the Moon, (new Moon on August 8th) will help us to see even some of the fainter meteors