![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/leonid-meteor-shower-when-to-see-it-peak-and-other-dates-to-watch-out-for-in-the-uk/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TELEMMGLPICT000000172328-xlarge_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqC_BQMHF8FCuPRRlhLShJ78uwB6GFS1CsBkF8phSHE_E.jpeg&description=The Eta Aquarids, also known as the Eta Aquariids, is the first of a pair of meteor showers that originate from Halley's Comet, the most renowned cosmic body of them all. This year, the Eta Aquarids shower reached its peak on May 6. The bad news for those in the UK is that the shower is more impressive in the Southern Hemisphere, where observers can witness around 20 to 30 meteors per hour during its peak. Meanwhile, stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere can only ever expect to see half as many. The shower produces shooting stars when the Earth passes along Halley's debris stream, which, in turn, creates tiny particles that burn in the upper atmosphere. A newcomer this year, the Tau Herculids shower peaked through to the early morning of May 31. The shower had its origins in a comet known as 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, or 'SW3", which was discovered in 1930 and orbited the Sun every 5.4 years. Astronomers later realised the SW3 had shattered into several pieces, littering its own orbital trail with debris, and by the time it passed in 2006, it was in nearly 70 pieces. It has continued to fragment further since, and now experts predict that the SW3 debris will soon be striking Earth's atmosphere at just 10 miles per second. Unfortunately for those in the UK, North American stargazers were best placed to see the Tau Herculid shower at its peak. The Delta Aquariids meteor shower hit its peak on July 30, allowing stargazers to see a steady stream of meteors over several days but at a low rate per hour. One of the more moderate meteor showers, the Delta Aquariids started off the summer in the northern hemisphere. Although it was best viewed from the southern hemisphere, those living at mid-latitudes in the northern hemisphere were still be able to see the celestial event. The meteor shower adopted its name from the Aquarius constellation, near the bright star Delta Aquarii, in the night sky from which it appeared to be travelling directly outward. The Perseid meteor sh){kind=link}
Meteor showers come and go throughout the year, but when will the Leonid reach its peak?
The Leonid meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the Tempel-Tuttle comet, which rotates around the Sun every 33 years. When this happens, thousands of shooting stars are visible from our planet.
This year, it will peak between November 17-18 and viewers may be able to spot approximately 10 to 20 meteors per hour. However, this may be a little optimistic, as the meteors may fall under the horizon across the UK.
The next impressive display is not expected until 2034.
But don’t worry if you miss out on seeing the shower that time, as there are plenty of other opportunities to see the sky full of streaks of light.