There's a meteor shower this weekend and here's how and when you can see it if in Portsmouth
A STUNNING meteor shower will fill the sky above Britain this weekend.
Eta Aquariids, the annual meteor shower in May, will be visible from this evening across the Portsmouth area.
Weather permitting, the cosmic display could produce up to 40 shooting stars an hour at its peak.
Although the peak of the shower is expected to fall on Tuesday, through to Wednesday.
However, it’s predicted there will be a full moon meaning the sky will be washed out by light, reducing the chance of seeing the shower.
Instead, stargazers are urged to look up into the sky later on this evening or tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the display.
What is the Eta Aquariid meteor shower?
The meteors can be traced back to the comet !P/Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet.
The meteors are fragments of space rock and debris that have broken off from the crumbling comet.
To stand a better chance of seeing them, there needs to be a clear, dark sky.
US space agency NASA said: ‘When comets come around the sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them.
‘Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids.
‘Every year the Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colourful streaks in the sky.’
Nasa said the meteors will be viewable in both the northern and southern hemispheres.