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How to see meteor shower featuring 25 shooting stars an hour set to light up UK night sky

Home> News> UK News

Updated 10:09 29 Jul 2024 GMT+1Published 10:10 29 Jul 2024 GMT+1

How to see meteor shower featuring 25 shooting stars an hour set to light up UK night sky

Brits could be in for a treat

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Stargazers in the UK are set to be treated to a meteor shower very soon.

The spectacle will feature around 25 shooting stars an hour and is expected to light up the night sky, but more importantly, light up your Instagram story.

The Delta Aquariids meteor shower happens to be the start of the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere.

What causes the Delta Aquariids?

Stargazers could be in for a treat. (Getty Stock Images)
Stargazers could be in for a treat. (Getty Stock Images)

The Delta Aquariids takes place when the earth passes through the debris left by the periodic comet 96P/Machholz.

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The comet was discovered by Donald Machholz, back in 1986, and is estimated to have a diameter of around four miles (6.4 kilometres).

And just for context, it takes just over five years for the comet to complete one orbit around the sun.

But as the comet orbits the sun, it sheds tiny fragments of debris and when earth intersects it, these particles enter our atmosphere at around 25 miles per second.

From friction with the atmosphere causing the particles to burn up, it creates the bright streaks of light known as meteors.

But the shower actually gets its name from the constellation (a group of stars) Aquarius, where the point from which the meteors appears to originate from, is located.

When is the best time to see the Delta Aquariids?

If you're lucky enough to witness the Delta Aquariids, it really is an incredible sight. (Getty Stock Images)
If you're lucky enough to witness the Delta Aquariids, it really is an incredible sight. (Getty Stock Images)

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The Delta Aquariids is usually visible from mid-July to late August.

However, the best UK viewing time is thought to be in the hour or two after midnight in the early hours of Tuesday (30 July).

What is the best way to see the Delta Aquariids?

The meteor shower is best observed in the early morning hours and for optimal viewing, it's always worth finding the darkest location possible, away from city lights, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

Though sitting in the dark might sound a bit scary, experts suggest for you to lie back comfortably, allowing your eyes 20-30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.

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If you can, look towards the constellation Aquarius, but bear in mind that meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.

The recommendation is to avoid using telescopes or binoculars, as they limit your field of view.

Clear, moonless nights provide the best conditions for visibility, along with air conditions that aren't affected by too much by pollution.

The Southern Hemisphere and southern latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere tend to offer the best vantage points.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Science, UK News, Weather, Space

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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