The astronomical organisation on Monday announced that Cyprus will have an opportunity to observe the annual Perseid meteor shower under particularly favourable conditions next week, with the display expected to peak overnight between next Wednesday and Thursday.

The organisation said the peak will coincide almost exactly with the new moon, creating darker skies and improving visibility for observers away from the city centres.

Despite their popular description as “shooting stars”, the Perseids are not stars but tiny particles of debris left behind by the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

As the Earth passes through the comet’s trail each year, the particles enter the atmosphere at speeds of around 59 kilometres per second, burning up and producing brief streaks of light across the night sky.

The meteor shower is active from July 17 until August 24, although the highest activity is expected during next Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday.

The organisation said the best time to observe the display from Cyprus will be after midnight, when the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors appear to originate, rises higher above the horizon and the Earth’s rotation places Cyprus in the direction of travel through the debris field.

The organisation encouraged members of the public to observe the phenomenon from locations away from unnecessary artificial lighting.