Geminids meteor shower: where to watch it and make the most of the perfect conditions

The shooting stars have been passing overhead all night, but tonight is the best time to see them

A meteor shower lights up the sky over the Mexican volcano Popocatepetl near the village San Nicolas de los Ranchos in Mexican state of Puebla in the early hours of December 14, 2004. The shower, named Geminid because it appears to originate from the cons (Daniel Aguilar)

Tonight is the perfect time to see the Geminids, the UK’s most spectacular meteor shower, as near perfect weather conditions coincide with the busiest time for shooting stars.

The meteor shower has been lighting up the sky since last weekend, but reaches its brightest point over this weekend. The moon is currently at a ‘third quarter phase’, meaning that it’s less bright than normal and its light won’t interfere with the stars.

The shooting stars will be visible from around 10pm. But the best time to see them will be from 2am, when the bit of the sky that the meteor shower is thought to originate from, the ‘radiant’, comes overhead.

To maximise the chances of seeing the galactic light show, head away from light pollution and keep an eye on as much of the sky as possible.

As might be expected ,cloud cover can obscure the view overhead. There's cloud expected over much of the south tonight — running from the top of Kent down to Cornwall — and some of the Midlands.

The clearest place to see the Geminids while it's at its brightest are likely to be East Anglia, and Yorkshire and the North East.

The meteor activity will continue until Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

The Geminids are the UK’s most spectacular meteor shower. They can shine in different colours — usually white, but also yellow, blue, green or red — and have been growing steadily brighter since they were first seen in the 1860s.

The evening will also mark the best night for taking photos — if you’re heading out to do so, check out our best tips for how to photograph the shooting stars.