The Lyrid meteor shower 2017 will light up the sky later this month and for keen stargazers there are a range of ways to see the dazzling display.
The spectacular sight can be seen between April 16 and 25 – when the sky will be littered with as many as 20 shooting stars an hour.
Experts claim the best day to watch the shower will be April 22.
According to Greenwich Observatory, the best places to watch the display are open areas, away from street lights.
So Londoners' best chance of seeing the shower will be from one of the capital's large open spaces such as Richmond Park or Hampstead Heath.
The Lyrid is one of the world’s oldest meteor showers, named after the constellation Lyra.
It is sparked when Earth passes through debris from the comet Thatcher.
Shards of debris vaporise as they meet the Earth’s upper atmosphere and create colourful flashes in the night sky.
Bill Cooke, NASA meteor expert, told Space.com that patience is key to catching a glimpse of the shower.
He said: “People say there is some periodicity there but the data doesn't support that.”
