Meteor shower set to light up UK sky tonight with 25 shooting stars per hour

Remember to make a wish

The lightshow is part of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower which brings in the start of the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere.

Endearingly referred to as shooting stars, meteors are often tricky to spot because of their fleeting visibility, however with 25 per hour predicted to tear across the night sky, you won't have to worry about blinking and missing the show.

Although not known for certain, the Delta Aquariids are believed to originate from debris left by the comet 96P/Macholz seen as streaks of light in the sky when the earth passes through it.

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

As the comet orbits the sun, small fragments of debris up to a metre in size are deposed which earth then intersects with as the particles and objects enter our atmosphere at around 25 miles per second.

The friction with the atmosphere causes the debris to burn up forming the bright streaks in the sky.

In space, debris from a comet between 2mm and a metre in size is known as a meteoroid and if a meteoroid burns up in the atmosphere it becomes a meteor while if it reaches the ground it becomes a meteorite.

Debris larger than a metre is known as an asteroid.

The Delta Aquariids meteor shower gets its name from the Aquarius constellation of starts where the origin or the meteors is thought to be situated.

The meteor shower is an on-going phenomena that starts in mid-July and ends in late August, however the period always has its peak which is slated for the early hours of Tuesday (30 July).

The spectacle is best viewed from midnight and into the very early hours of the morning when the sky is at its darkest.

It is worth leaving behind the luminescence of the big city to avoid light pollution as darkness is key to spotting the shooting stars.

Experts suggest lying in the dark for around 20-30 minutes to help the eyes adjust to the dim lightning.

It might be worth getting a star chart out and memorising the location of the constellation Aquarius, although it is worth noting that meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.

It is also advised to avoid using telescopes or binoculars which limit field of view.

One last thing, people in the UK will have to be praying on clear skies as, unless you have x-ray vision, you may struggle to see anything through the thick, overcast British clouds.

However, many could be in luck with the south of England expected to enjoy clear skies as well as the north of England and areas of Scotland and Wales.

Keep them peeled!