When and how to watch the Ursid meteor shower
- Published
If you're fascinated by the night sky a pre-Christmas treat might be on the cards this weekend with the peak of the Ursid meteor shower.
It's an annual event running over several nights but the best viewing is expected to be from Sunday evening into the early hours of Monday, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich, external. They may be visible for a few nights either side.
The meteors, which are sometimes called shooting stars, appear as streaks of light in the night sky.
They happen when the Earth passes through the debris of a comet or an asteroid. The material, usually bits of rock or ice, hits our atmosphere and burns up due to the friction, and we see this as flares of light.
The Ursids originate from the dust of Comet 8P/Tuttle which is about the size of Manhattan, and takes roughly 13.5 years to travel around the Sun in its highly elliptical orbit.
As the meteors appear to come from near the constellation of Ursa Minor it's known as the Ursid meteor shower.
How much will I see?
While there have been some notable displays in the past, the Ursids is not a particularly well-known or active shower, with only around 10 meteors an hour.
This year it will also be hampered by some illumination from the Moon at the time when meteors should normally be most visible.
The good news is that because the Ursids occur so close to the winter solstice there will be many hours of darkness in which to try to spot them.
But will the dark skies also be clear?
Will it be cloudy or clear?
There will be a brisk north-westerly wind blowing throughout the weekend bringing cold Arctic air. On Sunday there will be showers, especially across the north-west of the UK, and some of these are likely to be wintry particularly over high ground.
By Sunday night conditions are looking favourable for meteor-spotting for many. It should turn drier with plenty of clear spells in most areas.
There could be wintry showers in the north-west on Sunday night with clearer spells further south and east
How to see the meteors
If you are lucky enough to be cloud-free, find a dark spot away from urban lights with a wide open sky. It is important to let your eyes adjust to the darkness for around 20 minutes or so.
Look to the north - the shower will be sparse but you won't need binoculars or a telescope as it will be visible to the naked eye.
And if you miss it there is not long to wait until the next shower - the Quadrantids are set to grace our skies at the beginning of January.
Who knows? The weather may even co-operate.
Keep across your local forecast here.
