Meteor shower could see up to 50 shooting stars per hour TONIGHT – where to look

STARGAZERS are preparing for a spectacle like no other as a huge meteor shower takes place.

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is expected to peak in the early hours of Saturday with up to 50 meteors per hour.

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And as long as the weather stays clear you should catch a glimpse.

It’s expected to be visible from midnight tonight until dawn.

In the Southern Hemisphere it will appear low in the sky for northerly latitudes, such as the UK, in the early predawn hours.

But it should still be possible to catch a glimpse in the eastern sky as well.

The meteor show is happening as a result of Earth passing through the dust left over from Halley’s Comet.

Halley’s Comet is only visible from Earth once every 76 years or so.

Although the best chance to see a shooting star is during Saturday’s peak, the shower will actually last all the way through until May 28.

You should get a good glimpse with the naked eye – though you’ll have an even better view with some binoculars.

The best way to view the spectacle is in a dark area.

So keep away from street lights and other sources of light pollution as much as possible.

Eta Aquariid gets its name from the constellation in the night sky that it appears to radiate from – the Aquarius constellation.

But instead of being called the Aquarid meteor shower, the name comes from one of the stars from this constellation, Eta Aquarii.

The Eta Aquariid is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley.

The other is the Orionid meteor shower which is visible in October.

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