Meteors set to be visible from UK skies tonight and later this month - best tips on how to spot meteor shower

The meteor shower, which has been named the Draconids after the constellation Draco, will be visible between October 6 and October 10. However, if tonight doesn’t provide the opportunity to spot the remarkable sight, the peak, which is when it will be most visible, will be between October 8 and 9.

Lucky stargazer who are able to spot the meteor showers will be able to see around 10 shooting stars per night. The meteors are believed to have formed from the debris from the Comet 21 P/Giacobini-Zinner, which is currently travelling past earth.

To be in with the chance of catching the clearest view of the meteor shower, stargazers will need to be looking above just after sunset. A clear sky (i.e. less cloud cover) will provide the best chance to spot the spectacular sight.

The moon will also provide great conditions to spot it, with it in a waxing crescent. This means that luminosity from the moon will not be too bright as to block out visibility of the shower.

However, if you don’t get the chance to spot the Draconids meteor shower over the next few days, there will be another opportunity later this month, when the famous Orionid meteor shower graces UK skies once again.

The meteor shower will be active from October 2 until November 7, but will hit its peak at around October 21 and October 22. Royal Museum Greenwich said of the shower: “Some people view the Orionids as extra special as the meteors are actually pieces of Comet1P/Halley, famously known as Halley's Comet. The comet swings by the earth only once every 75 - 76 years but this annual shower provides some compensation for those who may miss that once-in-a-lifetime event.”

The museum described the hunt for meteors as “a waiting game”, adding “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. 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. But if you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the constellation of Orion.”