Best places to see the major meteor shower set to light up UK skies this weekend

This weekend is going to be your best chance this year to see the Leonid meteor shower.

The Leonids are fast flying meteors with thin trails, and while they're active between 6 and 30 November, you'll want to wait until they're at their peak to get the best look.

Of course, that peak is this weekend, with the experts from the Royal Museums Greenwich saying they'll peak between midnight tonight (17 November) and dawn tomorrow morning.

You won't need binoculars or a telescope to spot the Leonid meteor shower, all you need is to know where is best to watch them from, and a bit of something to prepare.

Since it's November and you'll have to be out at night, you'll want to wrap up warm and take something hot with you to stave off the cold chill of night.

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You'll also probably want to bring a comfortable chair with you as the museum experts say it's a 'waiting game' to be hunting for meteors.

As for where best to see them, there is no specific spot, but you'll want to be far away from sources of light pollution like street lights.

On top of that, you'll be best served setting yourself up somewhere that's wide, open and gives you a clear view of the night's sky.

If you've got an eye for constellations, or perhaps an app which will tell you the same, then the meteor shower appears to originate from the constellation of Leo. So, while you're scanning the night sky for sightings of the meteor shower, that's the best place to look.

While tonight is the best chance to spot the Leonid meteor shower, it will continue for several days, so if you can't go out tonight you can always give another night a go - and stand a good chance of spotting them.

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You'll have to hope that the clouds don't get in your way of seeing the night's sky.

This time of year tends to be the prime time to catch the Leonids and witness a meteor shower for yourself.

The meteors are bright, colourful and can travel at speeds of up to 44 miles per second.

While the meteor shower is pretty regular, there's a Leonid meteor storm every 33 years which produces thousands of meteors per hour.

You'll have to wait about a decade for the next storm, however, so for now a meteor shower is the best you're going to get.

Topics: UK News, Space, Science

Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

@MrJoeHarker