As the school summer holidays continue, families have even more reason to spend an evening outdoors this week, with the Perseid meteor shower set to peak on the nights of Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 August. This year’s peak coincides with a new moon, meaning darker skies than usual and the best conditions in years to catch the shower’s brightest meteors.
The week’s celestial calendar also features a partial solar eclipse on the evening of Wednesday 12 August, visible across the UK and Ireland between around 6pm and 8pm, with up to 96% of the sun obscured in the South West.
To help families find the best places to experience this week’s celestial spectacle, holidaylodges.co.uk analysed destinations across the UK using three factors that can have the biggest influence on stargazing conditions: average air pollution, the number of nearby recognised stargazing locations and the likelihood of clear skies throughout July and August.
Chester named one of the the best places to see the Perseid meteor shower
Just a short way from Manchester, the Roman city of Chester was named joint ninth in the rankings, alongside Truro in Cornwall and Harrogate in North Yorkshire. The stunning city lends itself well to stargazing due to its nature as an ancient Roman settlement, with a fairly low skyline and lots of open spaces.
The study also revealed that there’s a 55% chance of clear skies in Chester throughout August, with five stand-out stargazing locations and a relatively low air pollution score of 18.75, so you can expect crisp, clear skies when looking out for the wonders of the universe. At just an hour’s drive or train journey from Manchester, Chester may make your perfect day or evening trip to see the meteor shower that bit clearer.
Other top stargazing spots
Although the stunning Durham came top of the list of stargazing spots for the Perseid meteor shower, there are even more spots accessible from Greater Manchester that we can explore. The likes of Carlisle, Bangor and Llandudno are within fair reach, and all offer a lovely day out or weekend away for those of us in the North West – whether stars are in the picture or not.
The UK’s best places to stargaze this week
1. Durham, County Durham
2. Exeter, Devon
3. Plymouth, Devon
=4. Cirencester, Gloucestershire
=4. Lincoln, Lincolnshire
=5. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
=5. Winchester, Hampshire
6. Carlisle, Cumbria
7. Bangor, Gwynedd
8. Llandudno, Conwy
=9. Chester, Cheshire
=9. Truro, Cornwall
=9. Harrogate, North Yorkshire
10. Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
