Nature lays on the fireworks, too

PHUKET: In Saphan Hin the TAT will be firing off fireworks tonight and, if the clouds clear, Phuket residents will also have an excellent opportunity to watch a natural fireworks display, in the form of a meteor shower in the early hours of tomorrow morning. The meteor shower, an annual event known as the Perseids, is expected to be visible to the naked eye after 2 am and should continue for about five hours, says Prapee Wirapor, president of the Thai Astronomical Society. The best time to watch, he says, is between 4 am and 5:30 am when as many as 75 meteors will blaze fiery trails across the sky. K. Prapee suggests that stargazers look towards the north-east sky. No special equipment is needed – but a clear sky is essential.