The Perseid meteor shower is starting, and backyard astronomers will soon be able to catch a glimpse of the annual event.

Each year, around the middle of July, our planet Earth plunges into two separate streams of comet debris, each composed of ice and dust that orbits around the Sun.

The shower will be active from 17 July until 24 August but the cloud and thundery downpours expected to arrive across the UK over the weekend mean you may need to wait until next week for optimal vie...