Lyrid meteor shower UK 2019: How, when and where to see the dazzling display over London

Stargazers will be treated to a celestial phenomenon this weekend with the Lyrid meteor shower set to light up the night sky.

A spectacular show of shooting stars will streak across the sky in a display that will reach its peak in the UK early on Tuesday morning.

Between April 16 and 26 each year, hundreds of meteors with long, glowing tails race across the UK sky in a burst of spectacular activity.

Astronomers say the rate of shooting stars is about 18 meteors per hour but rare, short "outbursts" see rates of up to 100 per hour.

The Lyrids were documented as far back as 687 BC, making them the first ever of the modern meteor showers to be recorded.

When, where and how can I see it?

Experts claim the meteor shower reaches its peak between April 22 and 23, with the early hours of the morning of the peak day being the best time to see the shower.

According to the Greenwich Observatory, this means that the best time to see the Lyrids will be the morning of April 23 - so remember to set your alarm early.

The best places to watch the display are open areas, away from street lights. The observatory recommends for people to lie on the ground to get the best view.

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.

What is the Lyrid meteor shower?

The Lyrids were named after the constellation Lyra.

The shower 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.”

The Greenwich Observatory says it is the oldest record meteor shower still visible today, and was first recorded in 687BC.

The flash occurs because the meteors are moving so quickly through the Earth's atmosphere that the air in front of them can't move out of the way fast enough.

Instead, the air gets squashed and heats up to such a degree that the meteor surface temperature can reach as a high as 1600C.