Tonight is the best night for stargazing all summer
Crescent moon
Our moon follows a cycle which repeats about once a month (29.5 days), and includes eight phases – new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent. Tonight, the moon will be in the Waxing Crescent phase, meaning just a small sliver is visible in the night sky. 'This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet,' NASA explained. 'It grows daily as the Moon's orbit carries the Moon's dayside farther into view. 'Every day, the Moon rises a little bit later.'
Alongside the crescent moon, you might notice a bright red 'star' in the night sky. This isn't actually a star at all – it's Mars. While the Red Planet is well past its brightest point this year, it remains a distinct, red dot in the night sky. For the best chance of seeing the planet, look at the moon around 45 minutes after sunset. According to Live Science, the gap between the moon and Mars will be about one degree, which is roughly the width of your pinky finger held at arm's length.
Two meteor showers
Arguably the most exciting event this evening is the Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower, which will sync up with the Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower. The Delta Aquariids are active from 12 July to 23 August, but will peak between 29–30 July, meaning tonight is a perfect time to catch it. 'A moderate meteor shower peaking in late July, the Delta Aquariids kick off the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere,' Royal Museums Greenwich explains.
'Although best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, those living at mid–latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere will still be able to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower.' Tonight, experts predict that the Delta Aquariids will serve up to 20 shooting stars every hour. However, the Alpha Capricornids will provide an additional five shooting stars every hour – meaning you can expect up to 25 meteors in total.
For your best chance of seeing the shooting stars, find an area well away from city lights if you can. 'Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair – lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,' NASA says. Because meteors can be quite faint, keen astronomers need to get away from metropolitan areas.
'As with almost every shower, try and find a wide open space, as far from city lights as possible and fill your view with as much of the night sky as possible,' said Dr Greg Brown, public astronomy officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Do not worry if they are not instantly visible; NASA says it takes about 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adapt and you will begin to see the meteors. Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.
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