Stargazing: Here's what to look out for this summer

With later bedtimes and clearer skies (hopefully), August is a good month to enjoy stargazing.

So what might you find if you look up at the night sky over the next few weeks?

If you're lucky, you could spot a meteor shower, the planet Jupiter and even a great big bear.

Newsround caught up with Ezzy Pearson, stargazer and writer for the BBC Sky at Night magazine.

She said: "For the whole of August you should be able to see the planet Jupiter.

"It will be the brightest thing in the sky after the Moon, so you will definitely know when you've seen it."

Perseid meteor shower

This time exposure photo shows polar stars during a meteor shower

Leading up to 12 August will be the best time to see a meteor shower if you look up at the night sky.

It's something that happens every year but if you get a chance to go outside after 8.30pm on 12 August, you might see the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.

"A meteor shower happens when the Earth passes through a stream of debris that's been left behind by a comet," Ezzy told Newsround.

"When our planet passes through that stream, tiny pieces of gravel hit the Earth's atmosphere and glow bright white hot."

Ursa Major

Something you might be able to see all year round is the constellation of Ursa Major, otherwise known as the Great Bear.

If you can't see the whole constellation, then a small part of it called the Plough might be easier to spot.

"The Plough is one of the things that astronomers use to start helping them to navigate the night sky," says Ezzy.

Top tips for stargazing

If you're lucky enough to have clear skies and the weather isn't too chilly, here are some top tips to help you spot stars and planets in the night sky.

1. Be prepared - make sure you're wearing the right clothes and you're somewhere safe

2. Avoid light pollution - try to find somewhere away from artificial light, such as lampposts

3. Let your eyes adjust - give them time to get used to the dark so you can see more!