STARGAZERS are being encouraged to look to the heavens this evening into the early hours of Thursday to catch a glimpse of the Leonid meteor shower.

The annual phenomenon is set to peak overnight with some cloud cover expected overnight and rain in places.

The Leonids are usually one of the more prolific annual meteor showers, with fast, bright meteors associated with Comet Tempel-Tuttle.

The radiant is at the head or ’sickle’ of the constellation Leo the Lion, hence the name.

As the comet follows its path around the sun, it leaves a path of tiny debris.

The cometary debris enters our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.

The shower is expected to hit its peak between midnight and dawn tonight with those who have stayed awake potentially being able to see 10-15 meteors every hour.

No special equipment is needed as the meteors will be visible to the naked eye, but patience is key.

The Royal Observatory in Greenwich advises that for the best chance to catch a glimpse of the astral display, you need to head to a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution.

The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s good to be in a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes.

But if you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the constellation of Leo.

If you miss the peak, the shower continues at a reduced rate for several days, so there should be plenty of chances to see the display.