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Halley's Comet: Cosmic meteor shower lights up UK skies | |
(about 17 hours later) | |
The UK is set for a spectacular meteor light-show tonight due to Earth passing through debris left by the 1986 Halley's Comet, which appears every 75 years. | The UK is set for a spectacular meteor light-show tonight due to Earth passing through debris left by the 1986 Halley's Comet, which appears every 75 years. |
The display should be visible without a telescope in the south-eastern direction in places with minimal light pollution such as suburban and rural areas. | The display should be visible without a telescope in the south-eastern direction in places with minimal light pollution such as suburban and rural areas. |
Up to 25 meteors per hour are expected to whizz across our skies from 10pm to dawn, near the Orion star constellation, with occasional bright fireballs taking centre stage.It will be a clear night in most of the country with rain clouds over the north-west of Scotland, according to the Met Office, and a faint new moon will make it easier to see the meteors. | Up to 25 meteors per hour are expected to whizz across our skies from 10pm to dawn, near the Orion star constellation, with occasional bright fireballs taking centre stage.It will be a clear night in most of the country with rain clouds over the north-west of Scotland, according to the Met Office, and a faint new moon will make it easier to see the meteors. |
“Meteoroids from Halley’s Comet strike Earth’s atmosphere travelling 148,000 mph. Only the November Leonids are faster,” he said. | “Meteoroids from Halley’s Comet strike Earth’s atmosphere travelling 148,000 mph. Only the November Leonids are faster,” he said. |
Also known as "shooting stars", meteors are rock particles that have broken away from the comet and pass through the Earth's upper atmosphere before burning and vapourising. | Also known as "shooting stars", meteors are rock particles that have broken away from the comet and pass through the Earth's upper atmosphere before burning and vapourising. |
Halley's Comet is the only short comet visible by the naked eye and was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1705 - although sightings have been reported from as far back as 240BC. | Halley's Comet is the only short comet visible by the naked eye and was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1705 - although sightings have been reported from as far back as 240BC. |
The next sighting of the comet is expected around | The next sighting of the comet is expected around |
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