How to use the online alarm clock
While you wait for the meteor shower to reach the part of the sky you are watching, set the alarm for 4:40 am and keep an eye on the time without repeatedly checking your phone. There are 20 minutes before 5:00 am, enough for the darkness over the heath to settle again after you have adjusted your position.
Keep the browser open while you watch, with this alarm page available in the background. If you close the browser, the alarm for the meteor shower will not sound; it may also be silenced if your phone or laptop goes to sleep. Check that the volume is audible before looking up again, and use a separate alarm if missing the moment would spoil the outing.
Out on a British heath at 4:40 am, even a brief white light can make faint streaks harder to spot for several minutes. Dim the screen beforehand, switch off automatic brightness, and cover it once the alarm is set. If you need a torch for a flask, map or uneven path, use a low red setting and point it towards the ground, away from anyone else watching the night sky.
Common questions
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 4:40 am?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
Do I need an account or an app?
Neither. Choose a time and a sound, press Start, and it runs in this browser tab. Nothing is downloaded, nothing is registered, and closing the page leaves nothing behind on the device.
Can I change the sound?
Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
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