The Ursid meteor shower, one of the year’s final significant celestial events, reaches its peak tonight, offering a spectacular display of shooting stars. This shower occurs when Earth passes through debris left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle, resulting in visible meteors streaking across the night sky.
What You Need to Know
The Ursid shower is active from December 17th to 26th, but the most intense viewing window is overnight from December 21st to 22nd. Under ideal dark sky conditions, observers may see up to ten meteors per hour.
The meteors appear to originate near the star Kochab in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Bear). This constellation is circumpolar from the Northern Hemisphere, meaning it remains visible year-round, rotating around the North Star (Polaris). The shower’s peak is timed well with the December new moon, providing exceptionally dark skies for optimal viewing.
How to Spot the Meteors
To maximize your chances of spotting Ursids:
- Timing: Watch between evening of December 21st and dawn on December 22nd.
- Location: Find Kochab in the northern sky (skywatching apps can help). Look 40 degrees above it, roughly in the direction of your zenith (the point directly overhead). A clenched fist covers about 10 degrees of the sky, so stack four fists on top of Kochab to reach the ideal viewing spot.
- Dark Adaptation: Allow at least 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness; this will reveal fainter meteors.
- Dress Warmly: The shower coincides with the winter solstice – the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere – meaning cold temperatures.
The Ursid meteor shower provides a beautiful and accessible astronomical event for those in the Northern Hemisphere. With minimal equipment and dark skies, anyone can witness these fast-moving streaks of light.
This annual spectacle offers a final reminder of the cosmos’ beauty as the year draws to a close. The peak timing, combined with favorable lunar conditions, makes this year’s Ursid shower one to watch.
