Experts have revealed the best time to watch celestial fireworks over Kent tonight, during which people could see up to 100 meteors every hour.

If the skies are clear, the peak of the Perseid meteor shower should be visible across the county from around sunset tonight until the early hours of tomorrow.

But for the best view, stargazers are told to wait until after 11.30 pm, when the night sky is at its darkest.

The event is associated with the dusty debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years.

The meteoroids from the comet, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the Earth’s atmosphere at 36 miles per second to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.

Peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1,648C to 5,537C as they hit the atmosphere.

The meteors are called Perseids because they seem to dart out of the constellation Perseus.

Although they peak tonight, Daniel Brown, associate professor in astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, said it is worth watching for a secondary peak, should it occur.

He said: “The meteor shower slowly builds up from mid-July to reach its peak activity at 100 per hour on August 12.

“It then reduces until the mid-end of August.

“However, in reality, the activity can show more complex variation, meaning the peak might not be the only one.

“2018 and 2020 had some increased activity a day or two after the main peak.

“So in addition to meteor showers not being a one-evening thing – slowly increasing and then decreasing over days – we might see that the most active evening might be followed by another a day or two later.”

To make the most of the meteors, experts say observers should avoid well-lit and built-up areas and try to find unobstructed views of the main peak.

It will take any potential viewers 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness for the best view.

He added that the ideal time to witness the main peak may mean viewers have to stay up until the early hours of tomorrow morning and gave top tips for witnessing the shower.

Prof Brown said: “Bring along patience, and it is best to observe a big range of the sky as meteors will be visible all over.

“Find a place that is dark, away from direct light.”