TWO meteor showers are set to peak this weekend in the UK, giving stargazers plenty of opportunity to catch sight of them.
The Lyrid and Eta Aquarid meteor showers are both set to peak this weekend, with the Eta Aquarid shower being on the night of Saturday, April 15 and the Lyrid shower being on the night of Sunday, April 16.
There are many meteor showers that take place annually, with the Lyrid shower usually taking place between April 16 and 25, whilst the Eta Aquarid is usually between April 15 and May 27.
A university expert has also commented on what the best conditions are to see the meteor showers in.
When is best to see the showers?
Don Pollacco, a professor of physics at the University of Warwick, discussed what the best conditions were to see the Lyrid meteor shower.
He said: "The Lyrid meteor shower occurs when the Earth crosses through the orbit of a comet discovered in 1861, called Comet Thatcher.
"In fact, the Lyrid meteors have been seen and recorded for the last 2700 years. They are called the Lyrid meteors because the radiant is in the constellation of Lyra.
"The best time to see these is after midnight on a moonless night, with as little light pollution as possible. You’ll need a comfortable place to sit as this shower only produces about 20 meteors an hour – if you’re lucky!”
The Lyra constellation includes the star Vega, one of the brightest in the night sky. It borders the constellation of Hercules.
Meanwhile, for the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, Pollacco said: "The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, so called because the radiant is in the constellation of Aquarius, occurs when the Earth crosses through the orbit of a comet called Halley.
"These meteors are best seen from the southern hemisphere where the radiant in Aquarius is better seen. From the UK you might expect to see, maybe, 10 meteors an hour in clear, dark conditions.”
Aquarius borders the more recognisable constellation of Capricornus.
For those of us in the northern hemisphere there'll still be a chance to see it, but you will need to find a spot away from sources of light pollution.
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