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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
UK weather favours Perseids meteor shower: know the exact time to watch
The Perseid meteor shower has been building to its peak on 12 August, with the number of meteors expected to increase every night until the ultimate peak The spectacular Perseid meteor showe r has been building towards its 12 August climax as UK skies appear promising and Jupiter and Venus move closer together. The meteor shower, which is sometimes confused with the Geminid shower, has been active since 17 July and will continue until 24 August, the Royal Observatory confirms. Nevertheless, the quantity of meteors is anticipated to grow each night until reaching its absolute peak on 12 August, with the best place in the UK to spot it listed. What exact time should I watch out for the Perseid meteor shower? This evening, observers across the UK should be able to spot some meteors once the sun goes down, but the Royal Observatory advises the optimal time to gaze upwards is between midnight and 5.30am, reports the Express. An added treat for those attempting to catch the meteor shower - Jupiter and Venus will also appear at their closest on 11 and 12 August. NASA states that on the morning of the 12th, the two planets will be roughly a degree apart and will glow brightest before sunrise. What is the weather going to be like? This evening's weather conditions are anticipated to be "favourable" for viewing the Perseids shower, the Met Office confirms. UK weather 'favourable' The forecaster states that despite some regional cloud cover, most of the UK, particularly central England and Wales, will enjoy clear skies and mild temperatures. "It's an excellent opportunity to witness one of nature's most dazzling displays," it says. "Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or a curious newcomer, the Perseid meteor shower promises a memorable night under the stars." While the 84% brightness of the moon may obstruct some viewers' visibility, NASA suggests that keen stargazers could still catch a glimpse of the action by positioning themselves behind a tall building or tree to block out some of the moonlight. Here's how to watch the Perseid meteor showers Experts advise observers to steer clear of well-lit and built-up areas and seek unobstructed views to fully appreciate the spectacle. Meteorite specialist Dr Ashley King, from London's Natural History Museum, recommends standing on a hill in the middle of the countryside or heading to the coast as ideal spots for meteor viewing. He warns that the skies might appear empty for the first 10 minutes while your eyes adjust to the darkness, so patience is key. Using a red light torch can also be beneficial, as it won't strain your eyes while they acclimate to the dark. He stated: "Once you get used to the low light levels, you'll begin to notice more and more. So don't give up too quickly." The Perseids - named after the constellation Perseus, from which the meteors are believed to originate - are also renowned for their fireballs. These are characterised by larger explosions of light and colour that linger in the sky longer than the average meteor streak. NASA has dubbed it the "most popular meteor shower of the year".
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Fears for the Full English breakfast as Gen Zs ‘ditching bacon for avocado,' survey shows
Plant-based sausages are also on the rise FULL WHAT? Fears for the Full English breakfast as Gen Zs 'ditching bacon for avocado,' survey shows THE full English is at risk - as Gen Z and millennials are replacing bacon and sausages with healthy alternatives like avocado and spinach. A poll of 2,000 adults found half of Millennials (53 per cent) and Gen Zs (49 per cent) have turned their back on animal products. 2 Almost half of Gen Zs have turned their backs on animal products Credit: Getty With an increase in consumption of ingredients such as avocados, salad leaves, and plant-based sausages compared to five years ago. But the most meteoric rise has been for the humble spinach – with Gen Zs eating 10 per cent more than in 2020. While everyone's favourite – bacon – has dropped by 10 per cent among meat-loving Boomers. A spokesperson for Just Egg, the innovative plant-based egg brand which commissioned the research ahead of its UK launch, said: 'It's clear the traditional breakfast and brunch landscape is being reshaped with the trend towards more plant-based foods. 'With old classics such as bacon and eggs hitting a downtrend – and plant power on the rise. 'But it's clear old favourites like the Full English aren't going anywhere – they're just adapting as our tastes and priorities also evolve.' While it's apparent Brits still love their fry-ups, 62 per cent are now making an active effort to ensure these are healthier. As 35 per cent of the entire population agree they eat more plant-based ingredients as part of their cooked breakfast than they did five years ago. With as many as 41 per cent now at least sometimes swapping out ingredients such as eggs or bacon for something plant-based. 'Did you expect smoked salmon-' Brit slammed for complaining his staggeringly cheap Benidorm fry-up tasted 'low quality' In fact, 38 per cent now dedicate at least half of their plates to plants. A quarter have reduced their animal product intake with a focus on their overall health, 18 per cent admitted animal welfare concerns were driving the change and 15 per cent are motivated to reduce their environmental impact. And an adventurous 14 per cent are changing their ways simply to try new plant-based foods. The most popular ingredients that have been swapped out are sausages (16 per cent) and eggs (10 per cent), according to data. And even if they haven't tried it already, a third confirmed they would be open to trying plant-based egg alternatives in the future. With factors such as doctor and nutritionist recommendations (19 per cent) and concerns about cholesterol (15 per cent) given as the main reasons for considering this. Just Egg's spokesperson added: 'The shift towards plant-based foods is happening for a variety of reasons, including health priorities such as lowering saturated fat and increasing fibre-intake. 'But people are also realising that they don't have to sacrifice on taste – or cut out the Full English fry-up – to eat healthier.'
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists reveal desperate six-word plea for interstellar object ahead of Earth encounter
Scientists are urging NASA to send a message to a mysterious interstellar object before it is too late. The object, known as 3I/ATLAS, is traveling on a rare retrograde path and will reach its closest point to the sun on October 29, 2025, which Harvard physicist Avi Loeb suggested could be an ideal window for a covert approach on Earth. While Loeb is not 100 percent sure 3I/ATLAS is of alien origin, he proposed communicating with it as a precaution and crafted a six-word message for the occasion. The physicist told the Daily Mail that he wants to beam, 'Hello, welcome to our neighborhood. Peace!' 'The only way to reach it now is with a beam of light,' Loeb explained, suggesting a radio message could be sent in hopes of detecting a response. Loeb warned that if the object is an alien probe, it could reach Earth by Christmas 2025, giving humanity only months to prepare for a possible encounter. However, he also acknowledged the risks, noting that any intelligent life aboard might see the signal as a threat. 'A visitor to our backyard, like 3I/ATLAS, can easily enter our home planet, Earth, within a travel time of less than a few months,' Loeb said. NASA detected the object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, on July 1, sparking a flurry of scientific analysis to determine its origin. While more than 200 researchers have concluded it is likely a comet, Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has raised doubts in a newly released pre-print paper, pointing to one glaring omission: 3I/ATLAS has no visible tail. 'There were claims of a tail,' Loeb said, 'but since 3I/ATLAS is accelerating and its current size is not much larger than the angular resolution of Earth-based telescopes, it is not easy to avoid fictitious elongation of the image as a result of the object's motion.' He also questioned the object's unusual lack of gas emissions and its precise, retrograde trajectory, which aligns suspiciously well with the inner solar system. Loeb has developed what he calls the 'Loeb Scale', a ranking system to evaluate the likelihood that an object is artificial, and gave 3I/ATLAS a six out of ten. That suggests it is more likely than not to be engineered, though he emphasized that this score may change as more data becomes available. 'During an exchange with 3I/ATLAS, we could use the Turing Test as a measure of the intelligence with which we communicate, as long as the two sides develop a common language for communication,' Loeb shared in a blog post. 'Our side of the communication channel can be assisted by our most advanced artificial intelligence systems to decode the messages we receive. 'But as anyone who went on a blind date knows, exchanging text messages could be a very different experience than an actual encounter 'in person.'' Among his more provocative theories, Loeb suggested 3I/ATLAS could be an alien mothership releasing small probes to intercept Earth. 'The more likely scenario from an engineering perspective involves a mothership that releases mini-probes which perform a reverse Oberth maneuver to slow down at perihelion and intercept Earth,' Loeb wrote. This type of maneuver uses the sun's gravitational pull at the object's closest approach to adjust the trajectory efficiently, enabling the probes to reach Earth without large amounts of fuel. Chris Lintott, an astronomer at the University of Oxford, dismissed Loeb's theory as 'nonsense on stilts,' calling it 'an insult to the exciting work going on to understand this object.' However, Loeb said his analysis remains rooted in observational data. His latest paper, based on ground-based telescope readings between July 2 and 29, revealed reddening colors in 3I/ATLAS, usually interpreted as surface dust or organic compounds. Loeb noted that spectroscopic data from this and three previous studies show no signs of atomic or molecular gas in a coma, a feature typically expected in comets. While the reddening may suggest dust, it could also mean the object simply has a naturally red surface, much like D-type asteroids or other ancient space rocks. 'Continued monitoring around perihelion is necessary to track changes in activity and color,' the study concluded, 'which will provide insights into the evolution of interstellar materials under solar radiation.'
