Stargazers are in for a New Year treat as the first meteor shower of 2025 graces our night sky in early January.

If you have already found yourself looking upwards over the past few nights you might have been lucky enough to have spotted some of the Quadrantid meteors shoot across the sky.

This shower is set to peak around 3-4 January, but has been visible since 26 December and will continue until 12 January.

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, external, it is “one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year”.

The good news is that you do not need any specialist equipment for a chance to spot the meteors, but you may need a little patience.

First of all, given it is winter, make sure you are wrapped up well from the elements and keep warm. Get yourself comfortable in a garden chair or sun lounger, in as dark an area as possible, and allow your eyes a good 15 to 20 minutes to adjust.

The meteors may be visible just about anywhere in the sky, but are best viewed around two thirds of the way above the horizon, where the atmosphere is thinner.

The point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate is known as the radiant and the quality of the display is measured by how many meteors are visible every hour – known as the zenithal hourly rate.

The radiant for the Quadrantids is in the former constellation of Quadrans Muralis – hence the shower’s name – close to the Plough. The zenithal hourly rate could be close to 120 meteors per hour, though this peak lasts only a couple of hours.

Luckily, around the peak viewing days, a waxing moon sets during the evening and so reduces the prospect of extra light pollution spoiling the event.

As with any celestial event, clear skies are crucial to our enjoyment of them.

After a cloud-laden Christmas period, the forecast over the next few nights is a bit more promising. Most parts of the UK will enjoy some clearer periods on both Thursday and Friday night.

Wintry showers in northern Scotland will hide the view of the sky at times on Thursday night, with some of those showers spreading south into Northern Ireland, north-west England and north Wales later.

On Friday night some of you will be wanting an early meteor display as cloud increases from the south-west.

Wherever you are attempting to view the sky be prepared to dress for much colder conditions. Arctic air that will sit across the UK may mean better viewing conditions, but it also comes with a marked chill.

Check your latest forecast here or on the BBC Weather app.