A meteor shower is set to peak in the early hours of the morning in the UK, which could see several shooting stars be visible.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is set to peak in the early hours of Monday, May 6 for its 2024 outing in the UK.
Overall, it has been active since April 19 and will continue on until May 28, but May 6 is when it will be at its most visible.
The Royal Museums Greenwich website adds: "This shower favours the Southern Hemisphere and will appear low in the sky for northerly latitudes (such as the UK) in the early predawn hours.
"Nevertheless, it should still be possible to see the shower in the eastern sky, even when the radiant is below the horizon."
The Eta Aquariids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley, with the other being the Orionid meteor shower which comes in October.
Additionally, the RMG says that unlike most major annual meteor showers, there is no sharp peak for this shower, but rather a plateau of good rates.
This lasts approximately one week and is centred on 6-7 May.
Recommended reading:
- When is wind dangerous? The exact speed and how to stay safe
- What is a tornado, how big can they get and how many occur in the UK each year?
- What you should (and shouldn't do) in your house during a thunderstorm
What is the best way to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower?
RMG says: "Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it's best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while.
"They can be seen with the naked eye so there's no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark."
Ideally, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution to give yourself the best chance of seeing the meteors.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here