Scotland with prime view: King of the meteor showers peaks tonight

The Geminids reach their peak tonight, with up to 150 shooting stars an hour possible, and visibility will be best in Scotland.

This display is noteworthy not just for the sheer number, but the colour. Unlike most showers, which are created by comets, the Geminids is composed of asteroid debris containing various metals also used in fireworks, creating a multicoloured display. 

Friday evening sees plenty of cloud cover over the UK and Ireland, with rain passing over. Pockets of clear sky form from around midnight over Scotland. In the early hours of Saturday, Ireland and northern England also see the clouds part into the weekend.

Around 02:00 am Saturday morning will see the full peak, but meteors will be flying from sunset. This year sees a full moon rise on Sunday, meaning brighter skies, which may obscure the fainter meteors from view.

No special equipment is needed, the Geminids are visible to the naked eye. Look towards the Gemini constellation of stars to find the radiant, where each shooting star appears to originate from.

If you miss out tonight, the shower is active until December 20th, but grows weaker beyond the peak. Check the WeatherRadar for conditions around you.