Perseid meteor shower

Shooting stars, more accurately described as meteors, should be visible tonight - if you have a cloudless sky. The Perseids put in an appearance every year at this time, and this year should show one every minute. Meteors are basically pieces of rock floating in space that plunge into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up, leaving a burning trail visible at night. The name Perseids is derived from the constellation of Perseus, from where the meteors appear to come. After sunset, Perseus slowly rises from the northeast. It stands close to Cassiopeia, which mainly consists of 5 bright stars, aligned to resemble either an M or a W, depending on its position in the sky. Cassiopeia stands opposite the Great Bear - the two stand on either side of the Pole Star.