Astronomy - Shooting stars before Christmas Eve: Ursids in the night sky
Shortly before Christmas Eve, skywatchers have another chance to see shooting stars in the night sky. According to the Association of Stargazers, the maximum of the Ursid meteor stream will be reached on December 23. The best time to observe the shooting stars is from 4.30 a.m. on December 22 and 23, said chairman Uwe Pilz at the request of the German Press Agency.
"On these days, the current is already relatively strong and the moon has set," said Pilz, referring to the morning hours. There would then be around two hours if the weather cooperated. Then the dawn will be too bright. On the morning of Christmas Eve, the moon will interfere with observations throughout the night.
Overall, however, the Ursids are a weaker stream and most of the meteors entering the atmosphere are quite dark. Ten shooting stars per hour can be expected, Pilz said. "The Ursids appear all over the sky, but looking north is particularly worthwhile." The Ursids appear to originate from the constellation of the Little Dipper. However, the actual cause of the Ursids is the comet 8P/Tuttle, whose orbit crosses the Earth.
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Source: www.stern.de
