Two meteor showers will soon light up Australian and New Zealand skies – here’s how to catch the stellar show

The Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers both peak around 31 July – and stargazers should head out of the city for the best views

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On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others.

At certain times of year, Earth passes through particularly dirty parts of its orbit, ploughing through debris left behind by comets and asteroids. During those times, we see that debris crashing into our atmosphere, and a meteor shower is born.