Look up tonight! How to watch the Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower from the UK as the breathtaking spectacle peaks this evening – with up to 25 shooting stars flying overhead every hour

If you’re a fan of stargazing, be sure to block this evening into your calendar.

The Delta Aquarids meteor shower peaks tonight, giving you the perfect opportunity to see shooting stars from the UK.

The storm will take place from July 12 to August 23, but will be most active around 3:30 a.m., according to the UK Meteor Network.

At this point, you should have a pretty good chance of seeing a shooting star, with up to 25 meteors flying overhead every hour.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Delta Aquarids – including how and when to see them from the UK.

For the best chance of seeing the meteor shower, go to an area with little light pollution and face south

The Delta Aquarids are a moderate meteor shower resulting from the debris cloud left behind by an unknown comet.

When this debris enters Earth’s atmosphere, it burns up, resulting in bright meteors in the night sky.

The shower’s name comes from the constellation in the night sky where it appears to be traveling straight out.

The radiant of this particular shower is in the constellation Aquarius near the bright star Delta Aquarii.

While it is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will still be able to see it.

“The best time to see the Delta Aquariids in 2023 is in the early hours of Sunday, July 30,” UK Meteor Network advises.

“Peak activity occurs around 3:30 a.m., but you should aim to start watching from 2:00 a.m.”

For the best chance of seeing the meteor shower, go to an area with little light pollution and face south.

Lie down on a blanket or sit in a lounge chair to give yourself an expansive view of the sky.

Don’t worry about buying binoculars or a telescope – these have a narrow field of view, so it’s actually more effective to use the naked eye.

If you can stay awake, it’s best to set out early and give your eyes a few hours to adjust to the darkness

Unfortunately, the peak occurs when the moon is two days before full moon, which can make spotting shooting stars tricky. The Met Office is also forecasting heavy showers, so you might want to bring an umbrella if you’re heading out

If you can stay awake, it’s best to set out early and give your eyes a few hours to adjust to the darkness.

“Once you’ve located Delta Aquarii in the sky, look away from the radiant point – if you look towards the radiant point, you’ll only see short meteors,” advises Royal Museums Greenwich.

“Meteors will appear longer as you look away from the radiant, so aim your gaze about 45 degrees away from Delta Aquarii.”

Unfortunately, the peak occurs when the moon is two days before full moon, which can make spotting shooting stars tricky.

The Met Office is also forecasting heavy showers, so you might want to bring an umbrella if you’re heading out.

“If the forecast is not favourable, find another location to observe or watch the meteor shower on another day,” Royal Museums Greenwich added.

If you miss this meteor shower, the good news is that you won’t have long to wait for the next one.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs August 12-13, with 100 shooting stars every hour.