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A Spectacular Meteor Shower Will Light Up The Sky In The UK Tonight - Here's How To See It

Lisa McLoughlin

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A Spectacular Meteor Shower Will Light Up The Sky In The UK Tonight - Here's How To See It

Featured Image Credit: PA

If you're a fan of star-gazing, then your Tuesday evening is set to be more exciting than you thought as the Draconids meteor will be setting night ablaze with shooting stars.

The meteor will come from the direction of the Draco the dragon, the constellation from which it took its name from.

Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Unsplash

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Dedicated astronomy lovers will be able to see as many as 1,000 shooting stars per hour this evening (8th October) and tomorrow (9th October) during the shower - providing the weather doesn't interfere.

In 2011, European observers of the stars were treated to six hundred shooting stars an hour, which is known as the dragon "awakening".

As ever, the best chance you have of seeing the meteor shower is getting out as far away from light pollution as possible.

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According to the UK's Space Centre, the Draconids, which is said to be visible from October 7th until 9th, is unlike any other meteor shower as it peaks in the early evening, after sunset, rather than middle of the night.

Despite possible bursts of shooting stars, experts say it's more likely that stargazers will in reality be only able to see five or six with the naked eye as the rest may be too small or fast to see without specialist equipment.

Unfortunately, the same experts say the Draconids is one of the least interesting meteor showers of the year. Some way to dampen the spirits before Mercury goes into retrograde from October 31st.

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Speaking to Space.com, Bill Cooke, a meteor expert with Nasa, said: "The Draconids are one of those showers where you either see a bunch of them or none of them."

Although stargazers may be a little disappointed, there's more to be excited about as we've been blessed with another shower this month, the Orionidsset, which will strike towards the end of October.

So, if you've got a home in the country side and want a little entertainment with your dinner, you know where to look.

Topics: Life News, Real

Lisa McLoughlin
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