Eta Aquariids meteor shower to light up UK skies
The meteor shower will begin on Tuesday night.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is set to reach its peak between midnight and dawn on Wednesday, and will be visible across the UK.
Listen to this article
The meteors are fragments of Halley's comet, one of the only comets visible from Earth, which was last detected in our inner solar system in 1986.
The shower will be most visible in the pre-dawn hours on Wednesday, when looking to the East.
Eta Aquariids favours the Southern Hemisphere, which causes it to appear low in the sky.
A bright waning gibbous moon on Wednesday will mean many Brits are faced with less favourable viewing conditions. However, some meteors are still likely to be visible in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Read more: UK temperatures plunge after 25C heat - frost and showers return
Read more: Hit-and-miss mix of sunshine and showers to disrupt run of fair weather
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through debris left behind by comets or asteroids that disintegrate or break apart when they come close to the sun.
These fragments of space rock then enter the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds of up to 43 miles per second.
The heat produced by their journey vaporises them, producing streaks of light visible in the night sky.
Royal Museums Greenwich, who track meteor showers, said: "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," RMG said."
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."