The last meteor shower of the year peaks a few days before Christmas

The last meteor shower of the year – Ursiderne – peaks on Sunday, a few days before Christmas.

While usually not as bright as The GeminidsUrsid meteor shower can bring surprises.

“Ursides are generally a sparse meteor shower,” producing about 5 to 10 visible meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions, said Shyam Balaji of King’s College London.

But eruptions in 1945 and 1986 produced up to 100 meteors an hour, he said.

“This unpredictability keeps skywatchers interested,” Balaji said, adding that it is not possible to predict in advance what this year will bring.

Most meteor showers originate from remnants of comets, and no special equipment is needed to see them. The clock sides come from comet 8P/Tuttle.

The moon will be 59% full that night and obscure some meteors. The show runs until December 26.

The next meteor shower, the Quadrantids, peaks on January 3rd.

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