This May Bank Holiday is set to be extra special as Brits will be able to see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower dazzle through the night sky. Up to 30 to 40 meteors per hour are expected to fly across the sky in the early hours, reaching its peak on Monday, May 5. The astronomical phenomenon is an annual event which lasts for three weeks between Mid April and May.
The shower is caused by Earth passing through debris left over by Halley’s comet. Dust will travel through our planet’s atmosphere, which presents itself in the form of streaks of light to stargazers. Despite the particles being roughly the size of a grain of sand, they vaporise which causes them to illuminate.
More meteors will become visible when Earth passes through the dense past of the debris. Keen astronomers will be able to see the stunning Eta Aquarid shower until May 28, yet it will be at its largest and brightest on Monday in the early hours.
However, for anyone unable to catch a glimpse that night, the increased activity will be present for a few days either side of the peak.
The ideal time to spot the meteor event is between midnight and dawn. It is advised to avoid areas with high light pollution too, such as cities, especially the likes of London, Birmingham and Manchester.
Anyone planning to set an alarm and venture out in the night to see the shower will not need a binocular or a telescope, as it will be visible to the naked eye. Although, it may take a short while for your eyes to adapt.
The Eta Aquarid shower will also only be possible to see if weather conditions allow, as clouds may block stargazers from seeing the meteors.
In the west of the UK, the weather forecast for Sunday night into Monday morning is astronomically in favour, as skies will be largely clear. However, regions in the east are subject to clouds, meaning its showers may be harder to spot.
Temperatures are also expected to drop to single digits following the mini-heatwave, therefore it may be best to wrap up when standing outside to spot the shower.
