This small meteor shower can actually only be seen from the Northern Hemisphere, with five and 10 meteors per hour scattered across the sky.
On the evening of December 21, the Ursids peak reaches the early morning hours of December 22. The moon will be 50% complete. That, combined with the often cloudy winter nights of December, can obscure your view of these small fountains.
If you want the best view of the fountain, wait for the moon to set at 12:30 a.m. ET on December 22, according to NASA. Then look at the sky for about an hour.
The meteor shower originates from the Ursa Minor constellation, known as the Little Dipper, but meteors will appear throughout the sky.
Eursides is a relatively new meteor shower, according to EarthSky.RC’s SkyWatching Guide. Ursids were not seen until the 20th century, when many years of meteor showers became annual events.
According to the American Meteor Society, when the Earth’s comet passes close to the orbit of 8p / tuttle and this year, our nearest pass also includes many debris pathways, according to the American Meteor Society. This can cause more activity during a meteor shower.
Do not look directly at the sky. The goal is to stand in the sky about halfway through, according to the American Meteorological Society.
The Geminid Meteor Shower also runs through Sunday, and the winter solstice occurs one day later on December 21st.
And don’t forget to keep an eye out for the so-called “Christmas Star” (which isn’t really a star) on December 21st. At the same time Jupiter and Saturn come closest to our sky compared to our centuries. This connection will make them look like a double planet during twilight.
