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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Jacob Rawley

How to see Eta Aquariid meteor shower as it peaks on King's Coronation night

There will be a whole lot to see and do on the official Coronation day of King Charles III, including a rare stargazing opportunity after most celebrations have finished.

That is because the day of the official ceremony, May 6, happens to coincide with the maximum visibility of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower.

Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), a leading group of space research facilities in the UK, has said the shower will be at its most visible on May 6 and May 7.

Here is everything you need to know about the shower, as well as where and how to watch the space rocks zip through the sky.

What is the Eta Aquariid meteor shower?

Space rocks can zip through the sky at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second (Simon Robling/Getty Images)

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is associated with Comet Halley and is visible in UK skies between April 19 and May 28.

According to RMG, pieces of space debris speed through our planet's night sky at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second.

This debris causes the streaks of light that lucky stargazers sometimes see in the night sky, the experts explain.

They add: "The Eta Aquariids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley. The other is the Orionid meteor shower which comes in October."

It gets its name from the Aquarius constellation, the part of the sky where the shower is most visible, where there is one star called Eta Aquarii.

How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower

The RMG states: "Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it's best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while.

"They can be seen with the naked eye so there's no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark."

As well as finding an area with little light pollution, you will need clear skies on Saturday night to be able to see the light show. Weather experts are predicting a mixed bag on May 6.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates, explains: "On Saturday we will see showers developing from late morning in some central, eastern and northern areas, but also with some sunny spells through the day."

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