SHOOTING stars created by the trail of Halley's Comet will be visible in the night sky over Essex tonight.
The event, known as the Eta Aquariids, happens every year when Earth passes through a stream of ice and dust left behind the comet's trail.
Here's how you can look out for the meteor showers set to appear tonight and tomorrow.
When is the meteor shower?
The breathtaking astronomical spectacle will take place on May 5 and 6 but stargazers might find that the best time to watch the meteors is on the night of May 6 and the morning of May 7.
What should I look out for?
If you're lucky, you'll see meteors darting across the night sky, burning up in the atmosphere.
The shooting stars will appear to originate from the constellation of Aquarius. You should not stare at the star directly.
For the best view, lay down flat on your back.
If you're lucky and the light conditions are right, you should be able to spot up to 30 shooting stars in an hour.
What if I miss this weekend's spectacle?
The meteor shower will make a second appearance in October during the Orionid meteor shower.
Halley’s Comet itself only appears around every 75 years and will not return until 2061, when it will be visible from Earth.
When is the best time to spot it?
For most observers, the eta Aquariids are only visible during the last couple of hours before the start of morning twilight.
Where can you watch the meteor shower?
People living on the equator will have the best views of the meteor shower, so astronomy enthusiasts in the northern Hemisphere will need to look south.
The best places to stargaze are away from urban light pollution - so find a park or open space away from town.
What if there's nowhere I can watch from?
If you have nowhere nearby to watch the spectacle, or if you don't fancy going out at night, you can follow the showers live online on a website called Slooh.
The site streams footage from a robotic telescope and the coverage will begin at 4pm and finish at 7.30pm today. Tomorrow, Slooh will head over to Chile and begin coverage at 1am ending at 4am.
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