Beautiful meteor shower visible in the UK this week
Stargazers have their best chance this week at seeing a meteor shower that will light up skies with “yellow slow fireballs”.
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The alpha capricornids display is visible from July 3 to August 15, but will reach its maximum rate on Wednesday, July 30, and there is a chance you will be able to see it in the UK.
It is set to coincide with a return of better weather around the country, with a heat surge on the way for three days in early August.
Meteor showers, known as shooting stars, happen when the Earth passes through the debris of a comet, with the dust and gas left behind from the entity burning up in the atmosphere.
“These small particles are moving very fast relative to the Earth, and when they enter the Earth's atmosphere, they are completely evaporated and the air in the path of the meteor is ionised,” Royal Museums Greenwich has said.
The alpha capricornids have a relatively slow rate per hour of five, meaning that it is potentially harder to spot - even in ideal conditions.
Nevertheless, it should make for good viewing if you are prepared to get your binoculars out with the Royal Museums describing the display as resembling “yellow slow fireballs”.
How to see the display in the UK
The display will be visible in the UK if you are prepared to stay up late.
“The meteor shower will be best viewed just after midnight when the radiant will be higher up in the sky,” the National Space Centre has said.
“So, find a dark sky area, wrap up warm, and allow at least 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the low light conditions and scan the skies to enjoy the shooting stars using just the optical tool nature gave you – your eyes!”
It is set to be a hot night of around 20C on Wednesday, which should make for optimum conditions to see the display. The Met Office has also forecast a relatively clear night.