Stargazers are in for a treat
Festive stargazers could be set for a Christmas spectacle tonight as a meteor shower is set to light up the sky.
The Ursid meteor shower is a yearly occurrence that blesses the night sky at the end of December every year. It’s peak was predicted to become visible last night and tonight (23 December) for those lucky enough to find a spot to view it.
Anna Gammon-Ross, of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the Daily Mail: “Ursids meteors appear to radiate from near the star Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab) in the constellation Ursa Minor.
“However, the actual source of the shooting stars is a stream of debris left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle. Meteors are debris that enters our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 kilometres per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.”
The spectacle can reach as many as 10 meteors an hour, making it a relatively minor shower, however, for those who want to get a good view, you should get to a place with a low horizon and a clear view of as much of the sky as possible.
The shower coincides with the Winter Solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is at maximum tilt away from the Sun.
This also comes during the longest night of the year, which gives you plenty of time to see some Christmas stars.
