Did you see it? Stunning photos show the Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower – and experts say the spectacle could be visible again TONIGHT

Last night the skies over Britain were lit up by the astonishing display of the Eta Aquariids meteor shower.

But if you missed this weekend, there’s still a chance to catch a last glimpse of this impressive spectacle.

Due to a particularly powerful ‘burst’, this annual meteor shower will provide fantastic stargazing for a while longer than usual.

Although the peak has now passed, experts say the Eta Aquariids will not be as active for at least another 20 years and will remain visible until this week.

And you don’t even need any special equipment to watch tonight’s amazing spectacle.

Annual meteor showers occur as the Earth sweeps through a trail of dust and gas left behind by a passing note.

When these particles, most of which are no larger than a grain of sand, enter Earth’s atmosphere, they overheat and emit bright light that we see as “shooting stars.”

Eta Aquariids are known for their impressive speed, traveling into Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of approximately 148,000 mph (66 km/s).

Professor Don Pollacco, a physicist from the University of Warwick, told MailOnline: ‘The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, so named because its source of radiation is in the constellation Aquarius, takes place when Earth crosses the orbit of a comet called Halley.’

But even though Halley’s Comet only passes by the sun once every 76 years, the trails of debris it leaves behind remain in place, so we always see the meteor shower at the same time.

‘Earth passes through a number of cometary orbits every year and at these times we see an increase in meteor activity depending on the density of the dust previously ejected by the comet,’ adds Professor Pollacco.

This year, the Eta Aquariids were particularly active, with one meteor per minute in some places, NASA said.

Dr. Edward Bloomer, senior astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: ‘Because there is a volatility in the way the comet releases material, you can get denser spots.’

When Earth moves through the denser parts of the comets, it can produce a larger number of meteors than normal.

Dr. Bloomer says, “This doesn’t mean you’re going to see a spectacular wave… but I think it will be relatively strong this year.”

This gave the Northern Hemisphere a particularly dazzling display over the weekend with stunning pictures of shooting stars everywhere from Dorset to Hungary.

And while the Eta Aquariids typically peak between May 4 and 5, this outburst means they could still perform well tonight.

Dr. In fact, Bloomer says the Eta Acquariids are in a “broad peak,” meaning they are still strongly active around a weak weather side of May 5.

To find them, Dr. Bloomer recommends looking southeast, about 45 degrees to the side of the constellation Aquarius where the meteors come from.

They should be bright enough to see with the naked eye, so you don’t need any special equipment like binoculars or a telescope to enjoy them.

However, you should stay away from artificial light and give your eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness.

Dr. Bloomer adds, “You have to accept that you have to put yourself in the dark, acclimate yourself to the dark, and keep your eyes open.

“You just have to sit there and hope you catch one. Maybe you get a flurry and see a few in a minute, or maybe you walk around for ten minutes without seeing anything.”

Weather conditions could be the biggest barrier to a good view of the meteor shower tonight.

There will be some rain in the north and south of England this evening and much of the country will be covered in cloud.

However, there will also be a band of brighter skies stretching from Lincoln to South Wales, where stargazers may have a better chance.

Craig Snell, a forecaster for the Met Office, told MailOnline: ‘It will be a bit cloudy for many, but there will be some breaks.’

Mr Snell says the best opportunities will be ‘throughout Northern Ireland, the far north west of Scotland and towards parts of East Anglia and the south east of England’.

People in Scotland, Devon, Cornwall, South Wales and the south-east coast of England may not be so lucky.

Although temperatures are expected to remain mild throughout the night, warm clothing is still recommended for anyone planning to spend the entire evening outdoors.

There’s no need to despair if you don’t get a great view tonight, though, as there are several more meteor showers scheduled for this year.

So far, only three of the 12 annual meteor showers have occurred, with the largest being the Geminids later in the year.

The Geminids peaked around mid-December, sending up to 150 bright shooting stars across the sky.

Besides having the highest number of shooting stars per hour, the Geminids are special because the meteors are multicolored: mainly white, some yellow and a few green, red and blue.

The next major shower is the Delta Aquariids in July (20 meteors per hour), followed by the Perseids in August (100 shooting stars per hour).