New York — The last major meteor shower of the year, known as… Ursidswill reach its peak soon, bringing glowing streaks to the night and early morning sky. compared to Other meteor showersIt’s quieter, but experts say it’s still worth a peek.
Meteor showers occur when space rocks collide with Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds and burn up, gaining fiery tails — the end of a “shooting star.” Random meteors can be seen from Earth on any clear night, however More predictable meteor showers occur annually When the Earth passes through streams of cosmic debris from comets or asteroids.
The Ursids peak Sunday night into Monday morning and will be visible until December 26 from the Northern Hemisphere. Skygazers typically see between five and 10 meteors per hour during rising, and there is a possibility of up to 25 meteors per hour erupting, according to American Meteor Society.
The extent of rain activity coming from Earth depends on the amount of debris and the brightness of the Moon, which can obscure the glowing meteors. The Ursids feature less space debris than other showers like the Geminids, but its narrow crescent won’t pose much of an obstacle when it reaches its peak.
No special equipment is needed to view the meteor shower. To see the Ursids, who descend from a comet called 8P/Tuttle, pack your bags and get away from the city lights.
“The darker the sky, the better the precipitation,” said astronomer Peter Brown of Western University in Canada.
Meteors can be seen across the entire sky, but all the streaks appear to come from a central point near the constellation after which the shower is named. In this case, this is the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Bear.
Once dark, avoid bright lights from cell phones, which make it difficult for your eyes to adjust.
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