Perseids 2017: The night when all wishes come true

Seeing a shooting star and making a wish may seem to you like pure chance. However, the truth is you can help chance come your way by being in the right place at the right time. Every year, around 12 August, the night sky fills with hundreds of shooting stars (or meteorites, to be exact). That's thanks to the Perseids, a spectacular annual meteor shower.

The Perseids can be observed from late July until late August, peaking around 12 August (The 2017 Perseids will peak on the night of August 12 and early morning hours of August 13. This year, the moon may hinder a good view of the meteor shower). During the peak of the shower, hundreds of meteorites can be seen every hour. To make the most of the experience, you need to go to a place with minimal artificial light (as far as possible from cities and villages). It's the perfect opportunity to combine the meteor shower with a night picnic - just pack a meal, find a nice patch of grass and enjoy! You can see the Perseids meteor shower best in the northern hemisphere and down at the mid-southern latitudes.