The mystique of rare celestial events never fails to excite, from green comets to huge blue supermoons, we're always keen to know what the next cosmic phenomenon we can experience will be. If you share in this excitement, then hold onto your hats, because an unusual occurrence is set to happen in our skies. The stars have aligned for two dazzling meteor showers to coincide, with both expected to simultaneously peak tonight. It's time to dig out your binoculars and telescopes!
The two annual celestial events in question are the Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids showers, which occupy the southern sky and are both most visible in the Southern Hemisphere – so we're in luck! With the combination of the two showers, you could see up to a whopping 30 meteors streaking across the sky per hour (providing the sky is totally clear).
In order to spot this sparkly sight, it helps to have a little bit of astronomic know-how. Being able to locate various constellations and celestial bodies helps a lot, as these meteor showers will radiate from the Aquarius and Capricornus constellations. Fortunately, there are plenty of astrology resources online to help you with this.
Other tips to bear in mind for meteor-spotting are heading to your chosen stargazing spot in the early hours of the morning (around 2am-3am) and ensuring you wait long enough to give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness (about half an hour). And considering it is the depths of winter, bring plenty of warm layers and blankets!
Happy stargazing!
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