Space rocks may be spotted zipping through the sky like shooting stars this week as the Ursid meteor shower peaks today.
Whether you're into astronomy or are just looking for something magical to do this week, the annual Ursid meteor shower is a celestial display that's worth seeing. Lucky viewers could spot up to 10 meteors an hour during the shower's peak if conditions are right.
Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), which makes up some of the UK's leading space exploration institutions, has said that the Ursid meteor shower will peak on December 22 and 23.
However, it will be visible from December 17 until December 26, meaning that you may have a chance to spot it if you miss the peak. Here is everything you need to know about the annual meteor shower.
When and how can I see the Ursid meteor shower?
Stargazers will need no equipment to see the Ursid meteor shower as the streaks of lights can be seen with the naked eye.
The bright streak that we see as a "shooting star" is actually "glowing hot air" as a space rock "zips through the atmosphere", NASA says.
The RMG describes the annual shower as: "Meteors are debris that enters our planet's atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors."
To see the meteor shower they say: "For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution. 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.
Unfortunately during the peak days, which will occur on Thursday and Friday, there is a good chance that the spectacle will be clouded over thanks to "wintery" conditions up north.
Thursday's forecast from the Met Office states: "Much of England and Wales cloudy with heavy rain over parts of Wales and southwest England later. Some fog about, mainly northern England and Northern Ireland. Wintry showers far north."
Are you going to be staying up to catch the meteor shower? Let us know in the comments.
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