AMATEUR astronomers will have another chance to view the Perseids meteor shower as the spectacular annual light show continues this evening.

More commonly called "shooting stars", the Perseids are pieces of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

In August each year, the Earth passes through a cloud of the comet's debris. These tiny pieces of ice and dust, which range from the size of a grain of sand to around as big as a pea, hit the Earth's atmosphere at 60km/s – or 134,000 mph – to streak across the sky with breathtaking effect.

The Perseids shower reached its peak in the early hours of yesterday morning, when as many as 60 meteors an hour could be seen. Although the peak has passed, the Perseids will continue to light up the skies over the coming days.

Among the optimum spots in the country to view the meteor shower is Galloway Forest Dark Skies Park in Dumfries and Galloway.

Steve Owens, one of the country's leading astronomers and a former manager of Glasgow Science Centre planetarium, was planning to head there last night.

He said: "The best place to view the Perseids is in a dark place – and Galloway is one of the darkest in the country.

"Even if you are in a city, however, you should still see a handful every hour, while those in the countryside, where the skies are darker, should see around a dozen or more each hour."