2024 has already been a bumper year for shooting stars and Northern Lights displays – and there might be more to come.
Meteor showers happen all the time and scientists are able to forecast when they’re due to brighten up the night skies.
Recent Perseid meteor shower lit up the night skies with shooting stars[/caption]
Some areas were treated to the Northern Lights at the same time[/caption]
The Northern Lights – or Aurora Borealis – are more difficult to predict in advance.
But what we do know is the sun, which is ultimately responsible for triggering the Aurora Borealis, goes through an activity cycle of 11 years.
When this activity cycle peaks we get a lot more intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation from the sun – known as solar flares – which affect the Earth’s magnetic field.
It can wreck havoc on communications, flight navigation systems and power grids but one of the more pleasant outcomes is the Northern Lights.
The reason we’ve had a number of big Northern Lights displays this year is because the sun is currently in its activity peak.
Hence experts have dubbed it the “Year of the Aurora”.
So, if one of the upcoming meteor showers falls around the same time as another burst of solar flares strike, we could be treated to another double dazzling display.
The most dramatic meteor shower is expected to happen in December, when experts predict we may see up to 150 shooting stars an hour.
Of course, any chance of seeing them is dependent on weather conditions and where you are looking, so make sure you prepare in advance. We have some tips in the video at the top of this page.
Below are the key dates to put in your calendar for meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere – for both the UK and US – as detailed by the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Draconids: October 6 – 10
- Associated with Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zimmer
- Peak expected on October 8 and October 9
- Up to 10 shooting stars an hour
Orionids: October 2 – November 7
- Fast with fine trains; Associated with Comet Halley
- Peak expected on October 21 and October 22
- Up to 25 shooting stars an hour
Taurids: October 20 – December 10
- Very slow meteors
- Peak expected on November 12 and November 13
- Up to five shooting stars an hour
Leonids: November 6 – 30
- Associated with Comet Tempel-Tuttle; Fast bright meteors with fine trains
- Peak expected on November 18
- Up to 10 shooting stars an hour
Geminids: December 4 – 20
- Plenty of bright meteors, few trains
- Peak expected on December 14 and December 15
- Up to 150 shooting stars an hour
Ursids: December 17 – 26
- Sparse shower; Associated with comet 8P/Tuttle
- Peak expected on December 23
- Up to 10 shooting stars an hour
What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa…
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)
