Winter Solstice meteor shower: What is it and where can you see it?

The Winter Solstice and the Cold Moon will also take place close to Christmas

Sarah Harvard
New York
Friday 21 December 2018 15:23 GMT
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Spectacular meteor shower

The winter solstice will be taking place on 21 December and this year you will be able to see both a full moon and a meteor shower.

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter. Scientifically speaking, the winter solstice is when “the sun appears at its most southerly position,” according to meteorologists.

The upcoming full moon has been named “the Cold Moon,”and it will be seen during the longest night of the year.”

However, the Cold Moon and the winter solstice are not completely in sync. The peak full moon falls one day later on 22 December. But to the untrained eye, the full moon will seem like it’s been full for a few days.

In addition to the Cold Moon, those in the United States can also see the a stunning meteor shower, or more colloquially known as a “shooting star” closer to Christmas.

What are the Ursids meteor shower?

This meteor shower is a part of the Comet 8P/Tuttle discovered in 1790, and then later re-discovered by Horace Tuttle in 1858. The comet revolves around the sun every 14 years.

However, the Ursids meteor shower takes place when planet Earth navigates through a trail of dust and debris left from the comet’s orbit. The first Ursids shower was recorded in England in 1900, and then several decades later, it was a discovered in Germany.

When can I see the Ursid meteor shower?

The best time to view the meteor shower is on 22 December. The full moon, however, might make it challenging it to see the shower.

Where can the Ursid meteor shower be seen?

According to the American Meteor Society, the Ursids shower can be seen best in the mid-northern hemisphere. At the showers’ peak, there should be approximately 11 sporadic meteors per hour and seen right before the sun breaks in rural towns. In the evening, the showers slow down to two meteors per hour.

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What is the best way to see the meteor shower?

The best way to see a meteor shower is with your own eyes. In fact, using a telescope or binoculars can only hinder your stargazing experience since it narrows your field of vision. Just make sure that you station yourself in an area away from lights.

Obviously, somewhere like New York's Times Square would not be an ideal location.

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