Meteor showers Ursids
Ursids
A quiet shower around the solstice
A modest shower right after the Geminids, with a radiant that never sets.
- Active period
- 17 December to 26 December
- Usual maximum
- Around 22 December
- ZHR under ideal skies
- About 10
01 / Overview
Meet Ursids
The Ursids peak around 22 December at roughly ten meteors an hour, and are easily overshadowed by the Geminids that have just ended. The radiant lies in Ursa Minor — circumpolar from northern mid and high latitudes, so it stays above the horizon all night.
Occasional enhancements
Rates of several dozen an hour were seen in 1945 and 1986, generally attributed to how the dust is distributed after parent comet 8P/Tuttle passes aphelion. Observations of this shower remain relatively scarce, so amateur counts still carry weight.
A circumpolar radiant
Because the radiant sits near the north celestial pole, northern observers need not wait for it to rise or worry about it setting. The price is that the shower is all but invisible from the southern hemisphere.
02 / Key data
Core parameters
- Active period
- 17 December to 26 December
- Usual maximum
- Around 22 December
- ZHR under ideal skies
- About 10
- Parent body
- Comet 8P/Tuttle
- Recurrence
- Late December, every year
Data and calculation notes
Active periods, peak dates and rates are multi-year averages; each year differs a little, so plan against the forecast issued for the year in question.
03 / Observing tips
How to watch
- The radiant is up all night, so you can start watching at any hour.
- Rates are low; watch for at least an hour before judging the night.
- It is essentially invisible from the southern hemisphere: a northern shower only.
04 / Sources