Get ready for a celestial surprise! While the Geminids steal the meteor shower spotlight in December, there's another hidden gem that often goes unnoticed: the December Ursids. This meteor shower, peaking on the night of December 21st to 22nd, is a true Northern Hemisphere treat.
The Ursids get their name from their apparent origin near the bright star Kochab in the constellation Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. Kochab, along with its companion Pherkad, forms the outer stars of the Little Dipper, circling the North Star, Polaris, like sentinels.
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Kochab's proximity to the north celestial pole means it never sets, providing an all-night viewing opportunity for these faint, medium-speed meteors. The new moon on December 19th ensures dark skies, perfect for catching a glimpse of the Ursids.
The best time to spot these meteors is during the last dark hour before dawn, when the radiant point is highest above the horizon. On the night of maximum activity, you can expect to see between 5 to 10 Ursids per hour. With a speed of 22 miles (35 km) per second, these meteors put on a moderate-speed show.
But here's where it gets interesting: the Ursids have a history of surprising outbursts. In the past 70 years, they've produced at least two major outbursts in 1945 and 1986, with several lesser enhancements reported in recent years. These outbursts might be linked to the proximity of the shower's parent comet, 8P/Tuttle, which has a 13.6-year orbit around the Sun.
And this is the part most people miss: many Ursid peaks have occurred when comet Tuttle was at the far end of its orbit, indicating that predictions are tricky.
For 2025, no unusually strong activity is forecasted, but a Dutch-American meteor calculator, Peter Jenniskens, predicts an encounter with a dense filament of meteoric material on December 22nd at 12:39 a.m. EST, with a potential hourly rate of 25. French meteor expert Jérémie Vaubaillon's computer simulations show the densest section of the stream near Earth on December 22nd at around 5:00 a.m. EST, but with no pronounced peak.
So, will the Ursids surprise us this year? If you're an early riser and the skies are clear, step outside and look towards the northern sky. With the nearly new moon in December, it's a perfect opportunity to end the year with a celestial treat.
Joe Rao, an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, is your guide to this celestial event. He writes about astronomy for various publications, including Natural History magazine and Sky & Telescope.
Don't miss this chance to witness the Ursids! Will you be joining the skywatching community for this overlooked meteor shower? Share your thoughts and observations in the comments below!
