A RARE double meteor shower will see fireballs soaring across the skies later this week.
The stunning space spectacle sees the Alpha Capricornids and the Southern Delta Aquariids peaking at the same time.
Meteor showers are actually extremely common – hundreds take place every year.
Sadly, not all of these meteor showers are exciting enough to head outside for.
But this week, stargazers will get a chance to see two meteor showers peaking at the same time.
First up is the Southern Delta Aquariids, which is set to peak from July 29 to July 30.
It’s believed that the meteoroids come from the Comet 96P Machholz.
Their name comes from the fact that the point of their origin (the “radiant”) is near the Delta Aquarii star in the constellation Aquarius.
The Southern Delta Aquariids typically produce observable meteors at a rate of between 15 to 20 an hour.
Then there’s the Alpha Capricornids, set to peak from July 30 to July 31.
These comes from the comet 169P/NEAT, and is believed to have been created between 3,500 to 5,000 years ago.
They’re less common, with peak rates up between two to five (or more rarely five to nine) meteors an hour.
It’s expected that the bulk of the dust linked to the shower will be in Earth’s path in the 24th century.
The doubled-up shower was called “an amazing coincidence” by planetary astronomer Nicholas Moskovitz, of Arizona’s Lowell Observatory, speaking to Live Science, adding that it was “a little bit unusual” to see joined-up peaks like this.
Seeing meteor showers typically doesn’t involve looking at a specific region of sky – they fan out across the heavens, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled.
Your best chance of seeing the meteor showers is in the middle of the night – at peak darkness – so you might want to stay up late for the best view.
Here's what you need to know...
And if you are viewing in the dark, make sure to avoid using your smartphone.
Meteor showers can be hard to see, so you’ll want to make sure your eyes adjust to the dark – don’t let checking your texts ruin it.
But that’s not all – Nasa has shared some of its top tips for viewing meteor showers.
Nasa’s main suggestion is to get out of the city (if you’re in one) for the best chance to see a shower.
“Try to get to the darkest location you can,” the space agency explained.
“The darker it is where you are, the more meteors you will see streaking across the sky.”
Similarly, you’ll want to check the weather forecast – it’s pointless heading out if it’s a cloudy night.
And finally, it’s important to stay warm and comfortable for being outside.
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa...
That’s because you might end up being out for hours trying to spot meteors.
“You will be out for a good long while and will want to lie flat on your back to soak up as much of the sky as possible,” Nasa said.
“To stay cozy, bring a blanket, jacket, hat, a warm drink, and water.
“You may think it’s silly to bring some warm clothes in the middle of the summer, but late at night the temperature can drop just enough to be chilly.
“If you are in a buggy area, you will want to apply some bug spray to avoid irritating bites.”
