Star gazers will be hoping for a break in the clouds tonight for a glimpse at one of the world’s best known meteor showers.
The shooting stars, known as the Perseids, should be at their most visible tonight and tomorrow with one meteor a minute expected to streak across the night sky.
Astronomy Ireland is urging everyone to get out and count sightings of the celestial event and report the data to the star-watching body.
"The Perseids is one of the best known meteor showers and for good reason," said Astronomy Ireland.
"You can expect to see up to one meteor per minute around the peak of this shower.
"Such meteors are often called 'shooting stars' but in reality, meteors are not connected with stars at all.
"In fact they are tiny pieces of debris, often no bigger than a grain of sand, which hit our atmosphere at very high speed and instantly vaporise."
Astronomy Ireland is advising the best places to witness the meteors is away from city light and in the country.
Further details on how to record sightings of the phenomenon can be found by logging on to the body's website, www.astronomy.ie
PA