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If you miss the peak of theGeminid shooting star showerearlier this month , do n’t worry — there ’s still another chance to catch a " shooting star " showing this year . The Ursid shooting star exhibitor will peak overnight from Dec. 21 - 22 , right around the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere .
Although the Ursids feature fewer shooting star per hr than the Geminids , the Ursid meteor shower can produce some brightfireballsthat are seeable even on moony night . So this meteor shower is still worthwhile , specially when take in around midnight before moonrise .
A meteor falls over Spruce Knob, West Virginia
This yr , the Ursids will be visible from Dec. 17 to 26 , peaking on the night of Dec. 21 - 22 with about 10 shooting star per hour , according toEarthSky.org .
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The Ursids are predicted to produce the most activity just before dawn , when the radiant — the item from which the meteor appear to emanate — reaches its highest decimal point during nocturnal hour . The Ursids ' radiant is the configuration Ursa Minor , also known as the Little Dipper . The Little Dipper is circumpolar — meaning it will be visible all night in the Northern Hemisphere — so the Ursids will be seeable all night as well .
However , on the night of Dec. 21 - 22 , the lunar month will be a wane gibbous ( between52%and62%full ) and will reach its highest point in the sky around6 a.m. local time , threatening to outshine any shooting star .
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The moon does n’t start to arise until just before midnight local time , though . So , to get the best views , plan on looking for the Ursids around midnight , when the moon is still down in the sky . To see the most meteors , find a vantage point as far from artificial Inner Light as potential . Meteor shower are better viewed with the naked eye — nostargazing binocularsorbackyard telescopesnecessary .
Like most other meteor cascade , the Ursids are triggered by comet debris that go through through Earth ’s atmosphere . The Ursids ' parent object is Comet 8P / Tuttle , which is about 3 miles ( 5 kilometers ) wide and take away about 13.6 years to orbit the Sunday .
The first meteor shower of 2025 will be the Quadrantids , peaking on the Nox of Jan. 2 - 3 .
