Best places to see meteor shower 'peak' over Hampshire skies this week
The annual Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak this Wednesday, sending a "shooting star" shower across Hampshire and the rest of England.
While it will remain active until August 23, the Delta Aquariid marks the start of the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is one of two meteor showers that converge in the summer, alongside the more famous Perseids, which is set to peak on August 12 or 13 in the UK.
The Delta Aquariids get their name from the constellation in the night sky that they appear to radiate from - the constellation of Aquarius, near the bright star Delta Aquarii.
Southampton residents may have to leave the city to find the best view of the meteor shower, website Go Stargazing has suggested.
READ MORE: Britain's most mysterious fish helped by river project
The experts listed five car parks in the New Forest as top places to be during the shower's peak on Wednesday.
For those living in Southampton, residents may have to travel a little bit away from the city to get the best view of the Perseid meteor shower.
According to the website Go Stargazing there are a few spots recommended for low levels of light pollution that are within a drivable distance.
In Bramshaw near Lyndhurst, Roundhill, Longcross and Cadman's Pool car parks are all considered top places to view the phenomenon.
Stoney Cross and Bolderwood car parks are also highly rated as top spots by Go Stargazing.
The Royal Museums Greenwich has also issued tips on how to get the best view of the Delta Aquariid shower.
Its website says to ensure to check the weather forecast ahead of time, and if the forecast isn't favourable, find a different location to observe from or view the meteor shower on another day.
READ MORE:
The website suggests to make sure that you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south.
It says to lie down to ensure a wide view of the sky, and to use the naked eye rather than binoculars with narrow fields of view.
Hopeful viewers should also allow their eyes to adapt to the dark and should not look at any lights, or their phones, to maintain the dark adaptation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-perseid-meteor-shower-event-france-ASTROAUGUST0725-9651b20fbe714b7499d83d8f5c4cc66d.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
2 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
August Has 7 Major Astronomical Events Including Meteor Showers and a Mercury Sighting
It's hard to beat a summer night beneath the stars, especially in August, when the shimmery Milky Way core is at its brightest. Late August also brings the return of the year's stronger-than-average northern lights season to high-latitude destinations like Iceland and Greenland, not to mention meteor shower peaks and striking planet-moon sightings. Here are the top sights to watch for in August's night sky, and don't forget to head to a dark-sky park or stargazing hotel for the best view. The Eta Eridanid meteor shower will peak overnight from Aug. 7 to Aug. 8. While this isn't the most prolific meteor shower, it's worth watching for in the pre-dawn hours of Aug. 8, especially since it coincides with the active Perseids. The spectacle produces about three meteors per hour; look for its shooting stars near the Eridanus constellation, which hangs low in the southeast sky August's full sturgeon moon will glow in the southeast skies on Aug. 9, with Saturn nearby to the east. Native American fishing tribes gave this moon its name, according to Royal Museums Greenwich. While you can see it throughout the night, it's best to watch during moonrise — roughly an hour after sunset — when the lunar orb appears larger than normal thanks to the moon illusion. Around 11 p.m. local time, the waning gibbous moon and Saturn will inch above the eastern horizon, then tango together through the sky until dawn. Neptune, which hovers just above Saturn, is joining the fun, but you'll need a telescope to see it. Early the mornings of Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, Venus and Jupiter—two of the night sky's brightest planets—will appear within roughly one degree, or about a pinky-finger distance, of each other. The planets will pair up in the eastern sky around 3 a.m. local time; they'll continue to climb heavenward until sunrise. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the most celebrated astronomical events, and this year, it will reach its peak overnight from Aug. 12 to Aug. 13, according to stargazing app SkySafari. The luminous waning gibbous moon will make viewing tricky, but it's still worth heading out. The Perseids is known to produce bright meteors and even fireballs that will shine through the bright lunar light. For optimal viewing, watch above the eastern sky after midnight into the early morning hours. Mercury orbits close to the sun, so it's typically tough to view the swift planet, but that changes come Aug. 19. This morning, Mercury will reach its farthest distance from the sun, giving stargazers around an hour of spectacular planet-gazing before sunrise. Watch for Mercury, as well as Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon, above the eastern horizon. You can catch the trio aligned in the morning sky for about a week after Aug. 19, too. See the sliver of a crescent moon and orange-tinged Mars couple up near the western horizon in the evening hours of Aug. 26. You won't have much time to admire the duo—they set around an hour after sunset—but if you do stay out for all-night stargazing, you'll be treated with more planet alignments just before dawn.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
The North Wales spot that's the best place in UK to see Perseid meteor shower - and the best time
Eryri (Snowdonia) has been ranked as the best place in the UK to see the Perseid meteor shower, according to research. The Perseid meteor shower is active between July 17 and August 24, with the number of meteors increasing every night until it reaches a peak of up to 60 meteors per hour on the night of August 12. The best time to see them will be between 12am-5:30am. Several celestial phenomena lit up the sky this year, including the solar eclipse and northern lights, leading to interest in astronomical events and astro-tourism rapidly growing in popularity. Accoring to Planet Cruise, there has been a 53% increase in travellers seeking destinations to experience the Aurora Borealis, while almost a third (28%) plan to visit Dark Sky Reserves this year. To help keen stargazers find the perfect location for witnessing the Perseids meteor shower , Planet Cruise has conducted a study to find the top global and UK destinations for astro-tourism - and Eryri has been ranked top in the UK, ahead of Wasdell (Scafell Pike) in Cumbria and Derwentwater, also in Cumbria. The factors used to rank the locations were latitude, average elevation and average light pollution. READ MORE: DWP pension changes that could mean people retire later READ MORE: 'Eco apart-hotel' plan for derelict Colwyn Bay landmark A Planet Cruise statement said: "Snowdonia, Wales, tops the UK rankings as the best location for stargazing. With an elevation of 700 metres and extremely low light pollution, it offers breathtaking views of the Milky Way, constellations, and even meteor showers. The vast national park provides numerous vantage points, ensuring an unforgettable stargazing experience." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Best places to see meteor shower 'peak' over Hampshire skies this week
A mesmerising meteor shower is set to peak across UK skies this week, and some stargazing experts have branded five places in the New Forest as top spots to see it. The annual Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak this Wednesday, sending a "shooting star" shower across Hampshire and the rest of England. While it will remain active until August 23, the Delta Aquariid marks the start of the summer meteor season in the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of two meteor showers that converge in the summer, alongside the more famous Perseids, which is set to peak on August 12 or 13 in the UK. The Delta Aquariids get their name from the constellation in the night sky that they appear to radiate from - the constellation of Aquarius, near the bright star Delta Aquarii. Southampton residents may have to leave the city to find the best view of the meteor shower, website Go Stargazing has suggested. READ MORE: Britain's most mysterious fish helped by river project The experts listed five car parks in the New Forest as top places to be during the shower's peak on Wednesday. For those living in Southampton, residents may have to travel a little bit away from the city to get the best view of the Perseid meteor shower. According to the website Go Stargazing there are a few spots recommended for low levels of light pollution that are within a drivable distance. In Bramshaw near Lyndhurst, Roundhill, Longcross and Cadman's Pool car parks are all considered top places to view the phenomenon. Stoney Cross and Bolderwood car parks are also highly rated as top spots by Go Stargazing. The Royal Museums Greenwich has also issued tips on how to get the best view of the Delta Aquariid shower. Its website says to ensure to check the weather forecast ahead of time, and if the forecast isn't favourable, find a different location to observe from or view the meteor shower on another day. READ MORE: The website suggests to make sure that you are in a dark sky area and have an unobstructed view towards the south. It says to lie down to ensure a wide view of the sky, and to use the naked eye rather than binoculars with narrow fields of view. Hopeful viewers should also allow their eyes to adapt to the dark and should not look at any lights, or their phones, to maintain the dark adaptation.
