Astronomy

UK Will Witness the Year’s Largest Meteor Shower Tonight

UK Will Witness the Year’s Largest Meteor Shower Tonight

Even if the dark nights have definitely arrived, there is still hope if you are ready to look up at the night sky.

Stargazers will be pleased to know that the UK is scheduled to witness the year’s largest meteor shower tonight, which sounds truly spectacular.

Yes, you read that right: 200 shooting stars will be used in the massive performance, which will be busiest from now until early tomorrow morning.

Additionally, it is anticipated to be up to 10 times larger than the average meteor shower.

The comet tail of 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, specifically, is what the Earth is going through, according to Wales Online. It sounds like a scene from a science fiction film.

Experts from the American Meteor Society (AMS), Mikhail Maslov, and Mikiya Sato indicated that in addition to tonight and tomorrow, the tail will also produce up to 200 meteors per hour on Saturday.

There will therefore be additional opportunities for anyone who might find themselves working over the next few days and unable to watch the shower tonight.

The Leonid meteor shower, which is tonight’s display, is caused by cometary debris entering our atmosphere at velocities of up to 70 kilometers per second.

The trains that result from this are what we refer to as shooting stars.

You can see the shower tonight between midnight and the morning if you’re interested in doing so.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the meteors that will be visible tonight will actually be as small as a grain of sand and are anticipated to leave behind extensive trails.

This shower is one of three that are still scheduled to occur this year; the Geminids meteor shower will follow this one.

There are anticipated to be numerous bright meteors during its peak between December 14 and December 15, however, unlike tonight, there won’t be as many trains.

The Ursids shower, which peaks right before Christmas between December 22 and December 23, is the last shower of 2022.

However, this precipitation is anticipated to be brief.

The fact that it can still be seen through December 26 makes it worthwhile to keep in mind if you’re hoping to see something to add to the magic of your holiday season.

For tonight, it’s recommended that you download a night sky app and locate the constellation of Leo – that’s where to gaze if you want to get the finest view of the shower!