Dramatic 'supermoon' and Perseid meteor shower to light up night skies on Sunday

A 'supermoon' will light up the night sky on Sunday as it coincides with a meteor shower in one of the most dramatic events on the astronomical calendar. The moon will be at its biggest and brightest for 20 years as it reaches the point in its orbit closest to Earth – known as perigee – at the same time as it becomes full. Two days later, the Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak – producing "fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus". Given a dark, clear sky in a normal year, it is common to see more than 100 of the meteors an hour during the second week in August. However, astronomers warned the lunar glare from the supermoon could make the meteor shower difficult to see.