The Ursid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Here’s what you can expect

On December 22, 2024By Littum

Did you miss the Geminid meteor shower earlier this month? Don’t worry. We are waiting for a little stargazing before Christmas. The Ursid meteor shower – the last of the year – is expected to peak in the early hours of Sunday (December 22).

So far meteor shower go, it Watch faces are not known to be particularly active. If viewing conditions are perfect, you might see upwards of 10 meteors an hour, according to In-the-Sky.org. But this year is last quarter moon will disrupt the show, so it’s best to keep expectations low – say maybe five meteors an hour.

Still, you never know what might happen. Sore EarthSkythe watch sides unexpectedly produced about 100 meteors per hour in 1945 and 1968 and about 30 meteors per hour in 1973.

The watch faces are named after their radiance, or the point from which they appear to emanate: the constellation Ursa Minoralso known as the little baptist. But they actually come from comet 8P/Tuttle, or more specifically the trail of debris it leaves behind in its orbit sun. Seam Land moves into that track, burning up the waste in our atmosphere and creating shooting star.

If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the show, here’s what you need to know about the Hour Pages in 2024.

Related: Ursid meteor shower 2024: Everything you need to know

When is the best time to see the Ursid meteor shower?

The watch sides run from December 17th to December 26th, with the peak taking place in the early morning of December 22nd. Although you can see them at any time during the period, the best views are likely to occur in the early morning hours of December 22. This is when the beam will be highest in the sky.

What are the viewing conditions for the Ursid meteor shower this year?

Unfortunately moon will be quite bright during the Ursid peak this year. It is approaching its final quarter phase at 54% illumination, meaning it will be quite bright in the night sky. The moon’s light is likely to drown out fainter meteors.

How to look for the clock pages

All you have to do is pull yourself together and get out in a dark place with a wide view of the night sky. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness and then look up. You don’t have to look directly at the beam – in fact, it’s better to look in a slightly different direction, as the meteors will move away from it.

When is the next meteor shower?

After the Ursiders is the next meteor shower Quadrant timeswhich will peak the night of January 2 to the morning of January 3, 2025.