Starwatch: Ursids meteor shower to appear in largely dark sky

Another week, another meteor shower. Last week it was the highly reliable Geminids meteor shower, this week it is the lesser shower known as the Ursids. Whereas the Geminids were disrupted by the presence of a full moon, the Ursids will appear in a largely dark sky. Only after midnight will the moon, now progressed to its last quarter phase, appear above the horizon.

The Ursids themselves will potentially be visible from the moment darkness falls in the northern hemisphere, since their radiant is located in the constellation of Ursa Minor, near to the north celestial pole.

The chart shows the view looking north from London at 22:00 GMT on 22 December 2024, although the predicted peak in activity actually occurs at 05:22 GMT on 22 December. So early risers should definitely look up. With the radiant that far north, this is not visible from the southern hemisphere.

Hailing from the tail of Comet 8P/Tuttle, the Ursids are not in general a spectacular shower. Usually they produce around five-10 meteors an hour. Yet, although it is generally regarded as a minor event, they can occasionally surprise. Sudden bursts that offer rates of up to 100 meteors an hour have been known, but only rarely.