• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Spectacular meteor shower to light up skies tonight with up to 25 shooting stars an hour

Home> News> UK News

Published 13:55 20 Oct 2023 GMT+1

Spectacular meteor shower to light up skies tonight with up to 25 shooting stars an hour

The impressive meteor shower is about to reach its peak

Jess Battison

Jess Battison

While the rain may be pouring down in some parts of the UK, the sky is going to play host to a spectacular meteor shower tonight.

If you’re lucky enough to have the weather for it then the stargazing over the next few nights is going to be incredible.

This time of year marks the Orionid meteor shower, which is now active from 2 October until 7 November.

Advert

Visible from across the globe, it will peak on the night of 21-22 October between midnight and dawn.

But that means that tonight (20 October) you’ll also be able to see the shower take place pretty visibly.

To the space buffs, the Orionids is rather special as the meteors are actually pieces of Comet 1P/Halley - that’s Halley’s comet to most of us.

While the comet only passes by our planet once every 75-76 years, this shower takes place annually.

Royal Museums Greenwich describes the Orionids shower as ‘fast with fast trains’ with an impressive rate of 25 shooting stars an hour.

Advert

The Orionid meteor shower takes place annually.
Kazushi_Inagaki/Getty Images

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the meteors it is warned to be ‘a waiting game’ so, especially in this weather, you’re going to want to wrap up very warm as you hang around in the cold.

But the good news is they can be seen by the naked eye so you don’t need any equipment to spot them - just make sure you let your eyes adjust to the dark.

Although Royal Museums Greenwich warns: “The Moon will be a waxing crescent just before First Quarter at the nominal maximum, so conditions are not particularly favourable this year.”

There’s hope though as the showers will carry on at a more reduced rate for a couple of days on either side of the peak dates.

Advert

So, if the Moon does get in the way of seeing those 25 shooting stars an hour, you have a chance of catching them over the next week or so.

It will peak tomorrow night (21 October).
Jeffery He/Getty Images

It goes without saying that if you do want to head out tonight or in the coming days for this mega starry shower then you want to get somewhere, well, dark.

Find somewhere safe that’s away from street lights and other sources of light pollution.

Royal Museums Greenwich states: “The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s good to be in a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes. But if you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the constellation of Orion.”

Advert

So wrap up warm, avoid the lights and keep your eyes out for some shooting stars lads.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images

Topics: Space, UK News

Jess Battison
Jess Battison

Jess is a Senior Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include asking everyone in the office what they're having for tea, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021.

X

@jessbattison_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

20 mins ago
21 mins ago
27 mins ago
an hour ago
  • 20 mins ago

    Kid Cudi says Diddy blew up his Porsche and ‘messed with his dog’ after finding out he was dating Cassie

    The rapper, real name Scott Mescudi, has taken to the stand to share his side of the story

    News
  • 21 mins ago

    New study uncovers easier alternative to fasting by changing habit for two days a week

    Turns out there are easier ways to shed those pounds

    News
  • 27 mins ago

    Eating common plant extract could prevent bowel condition that five million people live with

    See, eating your greens is good for you

    News
  • an hour ago

    Discovery of 'banned gospel' challenges everything known about Jesus and Christianity

    The text is not recognised by the Catholic Church due to the difference in teachings from the Bible

    News
  • How to see meteor shower featuring 25 shooting stars an hour set to light up UK night sky
  • How to spot shooting stars tonight as meteor shower is set to reach its peak
  • Millions of Brits given final chance to see 100 shooting stars every hour tonight
  • Drivers issued warning as rare blue supermoon is set to light up UK skies tonight