Perseid Meteor Shower: Look Up Over Banchory Tonight

If the clouds stay away later on tonight, it’s worth looking up.

The Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak overnight on 12-13 August, and 2026 is a particularly good year to watch it, thanks to very little moonlight interfering with the view.

For those of us in Banchory and Royal Deeside, there’s another advantage – you don’t have to travel very far to escape the streetlights and find genuinely dark skies.

When can you see the Perseids from Banchory?

The Perseids are visible once the sky becomes properly dark, but the best viewing is expected after midnight and into the early hours of Thursday morning.

As the night goes on, the point in the sky from which the Perseids appear to originate rises higher, improving your chances of seeing more meteors.

You don’t need to know your constellations, though. Perseid meteors can streak across a huge area of the sky.

Where should you look?

Find the darkest spot you safely can, ideally somewhere with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky and away from street lighting.

And….look up.

There’s no need for a telescope or binoculars – in fact, you’ll see more of the sky with the naked eye.

Give your eyes around 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness and try not to keep checking your phone. A reclining chair or blanket makes things more comfortable if you’re planning to stay out for a while.

Dark skies around Royal Deeside

One of the lovely things about living in this part of Scotland is how quickly you can leave the lights behind.

Head just a short distance away from Banchory and the skies become considerably darker, making Royal Deeside a fantastic place for stargazing.

Of course, there’s one thing we can’t control: the Scottish weather.

Cloud is forecast around Banchory this evening, but if we get some decent breaks overnight, it could still be well worth stepping outside for a look.

What are the Perseids?

The Perseids happen every year when Earth passes through debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Those tiny particles hit Earth’s atmosphere at tremendous speed and burn up, producing the bright streaks we see as meteors.

The shower is known for producing fast, bright meteors and occasional spectacular fireballs.

So, if you’re still awake after midnight tonight, turn the lights off, step outside and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust.

You never know what might streak across the skies above Banchory.

And if you capture the Perseids over Banchory or Royal Deeside tonight, we’d love to see your photographs.