Ursid’s meteor shower ends on the evening of December 21 and 22, with our planet moving further into the thick of the debris left by the 8P / Tuttle comet. At the height of the shower, expect to see between five and 10 shooting stars per hour.
But the Earth began to move through the debris field on December 17th.
Thus, burning stars are not visible, with small specks of ice and dust hitting the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per second.
Hunting stars are very low between tonight, gradually rising in frequency to the early hours of December 21st.
The shooting stars come from near the Little Dipper Constellation bowl.
To see this, just look almost straight north.
With the Moon in the first phase of the season, it will be easier to see the meteors as there is less brightness in the sky.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory said: “This year, the summit of the Ursid goes to the first moon in the first quarter, meaning that despite the scarcity of showers you may see a few shooting stars.
“The shower also takes place around the time of the winter solstice, so you get the most hours of darkness for stars!
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The Royal Greenwich Observatory continued: “For the best conditions, you want to find a safe place away from street lights and other sources of light pollution.
“The meteors can be seen in every corner of the sky, so it’s good to be in a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes.”
However, as is often the case in the UK in mid – December, clouds are expected for much of the UK.
But there will be gaps in the clouds that the shooting stars could see at points.
A Met Office forecast for tonight said: “Some parts of the east are drying up with clear spells, but more demonstrations are expected, especially in southern and western areas, with a little longer rainfall for northwest of Scotland. “