Meteor Shower Scotland: How to see dozens of shooting stars as the Delta Aquariids arrive


Every year meteor showers see thousands of meteors generated by a passing comets burn up in Earth’s atmosphere every hour.
Some are more spectacular shows than others, with the best seeing thousands of shooting stars light up the night sky.
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Hide AdThe first meteor showers of the summer is now upon us - so here’s everything you need to know about the Delta Aquariids.
What is a shooting star?
A shooting star is simply what happens when a piece of matter, known as a meteor, burns up as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving a bright trail behind it. Despite the name, they have nothing in common with the other stars in the night sky.
What is a meteor shower?
Meteors are created when a meteoroid (small space rock) enters the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which causes it to quickly heat up due to friction from the air.
This heat causes the gases around the rock to glow brightly, causing it to become a meteor which can be seen from Earth.
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Hide AdWhen a number are seen within a short period of time it is classed as a meteor shower, usually caused by the Earth passing through the stream of dust left behind by a comet.
The vast majority of meteors burn up completely in the Earth’s atmosphere and are no bigger than a grain of rice.
Occasionally far larger meteoroid enter the atmosphere – usually huge pieces of rock that have broken off a steroid – and land on the surface of the Earth.
These are called meteorites and the largest ever recorded is called Hoba, weighing in at a hefty 60 tonnes.
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Hide AdIt is thought to have landed in Namibia around 80,000 years ago, and can still be seen in the exact spot it landed all those years ago.
The most dramatic meteor showers see thousands of shooting stars streak across the night sky every hour.
What causes the Delta Aquariids meteor shower?
Scientists aren’t 100 per cent sure what causes the Delta Aquariids meteor shower, but they think the most likely cause is particles from the tail of the Machholz comet, which is four miles wide and travels around the sun around every five years.
When is the best time to catch the Delta Aquiriids meteor shower?
The meteor shower will be continuing throughout much of August but astronomers say they should be at their peak in the early hours of Tuesday, July 30. The best time to see them will be at around 2am when the moon is low and the sky is at its darkest.
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Hide AdWhat will the meteor shower look like?
The meteor shower won’t see hundreds of shooting stars flash across the sky every few minute. Expect to see roughly 15-20 shooting stars every hours, should the skies stay clear.
Where is the best place to watch a meteor shower?
As with most celestial events you want to be somewhere away from light pollution with a clear view of the entire (crucially cloudless) sky.
Resist the temptation to look at your phone, as this stops your eyes adjusting to the dark.
The shower is named after the constellation Aquarius, which is where the shooting stars appear to come from. You can find the square constellation in the south eastern sky and this is the area to focus on.
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