Look up this week! Halley’s comet set to put on its annual show

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One of the world’s most incredible meteor showers will light up the skies this week. The Eta Aquarid shower will peak tomorrow and Thursday with impressive views expected all over the world.

People in the southern hemisphere will have prime spots to view the show, with 30 to 40 meteors expected streak through the skies every hour.

Meanwhile, sky watchers in the northern hemisphere could see five to 10 meteors per hour over the next few mornings. According to Nasa, the best time to see the shower between 3am and 5am your local time.

'This year the Eta Aquarids will peak during daylight hours of 5 May across the US,' the space agency said.

'Slightly higher rates are likely overnight May 4-5 than on May 5-6 but the shower's broad peak means that both nights will have meteors.
'Some Eta Aquarid meteors may be visible for a few days before and after the peak.'

Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed travelling at 148,000 mph (66 km/s).

Fast meteors can leave glowing ‘trains’ of incandescent debris which last for several seconds to minutes.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Eta Aquarid meteors can be seen as ‘earthgrazers.’ These are long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon.

To view the Eta Aquarids, Nasa suggests finding an area well away from city or street lights, prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or chair.