Quadrantids meteor shower

Stargazers will get the chance to view up to 200 shooting stars every hour as the Quadrantids meteor shower passes over the UK in the early hours of Thursday.

The Quadrantids meteor shower is made up of space debris that will enter our atmosphere at speeds of 90,000 mph before burning up 50 miles above Earth's surface.

It will be technically visible all over the world with the exception of Antarctica, although light pollution and cloud cover means that only some will see it in practice.

At its peak, stargazers may see up to 120 meteors per hour.
 
It was named after an extinct constellation - Quadrans Muralis - which was created by the French astronomer Jerome Lalande in 1795. The term 'Quadrans' refers to a quadrant - an early astronomical instrument used to observe and plot stars. itv