Exactly when ’10 meteors an hour’ will be visible in UK

This meteor is visible every year and you will be able to see it from the UK from this evening until 10 October.

It is expected to peak on the evening of 8 October in the northern hemisphere.

The meteors will look like shooting stars and it occurs when the Earth passes through the debris of a comet or asteroid.

Debris which usually consists of rock or ice will hit the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up due to friction which sends streaks of light across the sky.

The quality of the display will be measured by how many meteors are visible each hour. Every year, this rate varies and in 2024, it is expected to be a fairly unimpressive rate.

However, the skies are expected to be reasonably dark which means the display should still be fairly visible from early on in the evening.

The meteors will come from debris of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, with the radiant in the constellation of Draco (hence the name).

If you’re planning on catching a glimpse of this, the biggest issue could be if the skies are not clear.

On the evening of 8 October, a fair amount of clouds are expected.

Low pressure to the west of Ireland will be sinking southwards, bringing swirls of showers and longer spells of rain, but there could be some clearer spells at times, especially across parts of south-west England, south Wales and possibly north-west Scotland.

Although not the peak, Wednesday night could be more favourable weather-wise with more widespread clear spells after sunset across the far south of the UK. Across the north-west of Scotland, conditions will improve too with drier, less moist air filtering down on a cold northerly wind.

To best see the Draconids, check the skies in the evening – it will be best viewable in a dark spot away from city lights.

You won’t need binoculars or a telescope as the shower will be visible to the naked eye.

Later in the month, on 21 and 22 October, more orionids are expected.