STARGAZERS WILL GET a treat this evening – weather permitting – as shooting stars from the Perseid meteor shower will light up the skies.

The yearly event sees the Earth pass through a cloud of dust left behind the Comet Swift-Tuttle.

As it moves through, the particles fall into our atmosphere and burn up to create the shooting stars we see streaking across the sky, Astronomy Ireland said.

The shower is named after the constellation Perseus, which is itself named after the Greek mythological hero of the same name, from which the meteors appear to come from in the north-easterly direction. 

As it peaks this evening around midnight, you can expect to see a shooting star every few minutes if there’s clear skies where you are.

Met Éireann has forecast that most areas will be dry tonight after a period of showers, although it will be cloudy in many places.

Astronomy Ireland added that you don’t need a telescope or any special equipment to view the Perseid meteor shower.