Ursid Meteor Shower Peaks Tomorrow Night Dec 22

Keep your eyes on the early morning skies for the oft-neglected Ursid meteor shower on Dec. 22, on the heels of the winter solstice.

This small meteor shower can really be seen only from the Northern Hemisphere with between five and 10 meteors streaking across the sky per hour.

The Ursids peak on the evening of Dec. 21, leading into the early morning hours of Dec. 22. The moon will be 50 percent full. That, combined with the often cloudy winter nights of December, could obscure your view of this little shower.

If you want the best perspective of the shower, wait for the moon to set around 12:30 a.m. ET Dec. 22, according to NASA. Then watch the skies for about an hour.

The meteor shower originates from the Ursa Minor constellation, known as the Little Dipper, but the meteors will be visible streaking across the entire sky.

The Ursids are a relatively new meteor shower, according to EarthSky.org’s skywatching guide. While many of the meteor showers we see throughout the year have been annual occurrences for centuries, the Ursids weren’t observed until the 20th century.

The meteor shower happens when Earth passes close to the orbit of comet 8P/Tuttle and this year, our close pass includes several trails of debris that also follow this comet, according to the American Meteor Society. This could cause more activity during the meteor shower.

Don’t look straight up at the sky. Aim for about halfway up in the sky, according to the American Meteor Society.

The Geminid meteor shower is also ongoing through Sunday, and the winter solstice occurs a day later on December 21.

And don’t forget to keep an eye out for the so-called “Christmas Star” (which isn’t actually a star) on Dec. 21. That’s when Jupiter and Saturn come the closest together in our sky than they have in centuries. This conjunction will make them appear like a double planet during twilight.

Views: 93

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on December 23, 2020 at 2:20pm

Moon Jupiter Saturn through a 10 inch Meade Telescope

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on December 22, 2020 at 4:21pm

For the lazy slackers who didn't wake up or step outside their dwellings last night.... ;)

"It was spectacular dahlink"

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on December 21, 2020 at 4:15pm

just a reminder.... this is tonights big celestial event.... last time Jupiter and Saturn got this closely aligned near earth was back in the 1600's .... 

The Ursids shower peaks and best seen for about an hour @ 12:30am EST

set your clocks!!

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Doc Vega's 2 blog posts were featured
8 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Sandy's photo
Thumbnail

FB_IMG_1775463256193

"Then they had the same old photo edited. Very stupid!"
8 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Sandy's photo
8 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Escape

The dreamland comes as I close my eyesTake me from the forbidden lands that I despiseWhere all…See More
yesterday
cheeki kea commented on Sandy's photo
Thumbnail

FB_IMG_1775463256193

"ahh yes but one must be well  practised in the art of double think for such occasions as these…"
yesterday
honeygirl posted videos
Tuesday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

You’ve Heard of Champ, right? This Aint it!

 CHAMP, you might be thinking of is a legendary cryptid supposedly existing in the waters of Lake…See More
Monday
Less Prone favorited Sandy's photo
Monday
Less Prone favorited Sandy's photo
Monday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Truth or Fiction? You Figure it Out

 Working for the federal government, specifically, the Pentagon. I was, what you might call a…See More
Saturday
tjdavis posted a video

GOLDSPHINCTER - Donald J Trump is Acrid Goldsphincter (James Bond Music Parody)

In this James Bond parody, Donald J Trump is Acrid Goldsphincter in our version of the classic Bond "Goldfinger" theme song. All voices and singing performed...
Saturday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

How Long does Destabilization Take?

How long does it take to topple a society targeted by the left? What ingredients go into this toxic…See More
Apr 9
tjdavis posted a photo
Apr 9
tjdavis posted a video
Apr 8
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Apr 7
Burbia commented on Cryptocurrency's group Video Archive
Apr 7
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post How Many Clues Did You Need To Figure out the Covid scare was Bogus? Revisiting Stupidity
"cheeki kea you are spot on. It won't be until the elephant on Wall Street is as high as the…"
Apr 6
Sandy posted photos
Apr 6
harrisseo is now a member of 12160 Social Network
Apr 5
Doc Vega's 4 blog posts were featured
Apr 5

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted