Starwatch: After the Geminids meteor shower, it is the turn of the Ursids | Astronomy

IIf the Geminids have whetted your appetite for meteor showers, then you’re in luck. This week it’s the Ursids’ turn. True, they are nowhere near as numerous as the Geminids, producing a maximum of 10 meteors per hour, but there is a unique satisfaction in witnessing one of nature’s most subtle events.

The dust grains that make up the Ursids come from comet 8P/Tuttle, discovered in 1858 by American astronomer Horace Parnell Tuttle, a prolific comet hunter.

The peak of the showers occurs on the night of December 22-23. Meteors radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, the little bear. The map shows the view facing due north at midnight, as December 22 becomes December 23. As Ursa Minor is circumpolar from the UK – visible all year round – the radiant will be visible from sunset.

Meteor viewing always requires patience, especially with a low-frequency shower like the Ursids. Bundle up warm, especially your feet, and bring a deckchair and a blanket so you don’t have to stand for an hour or more.

Because the radiant is so far north, the Ursids are not visible from the southern hemisphere.