Ursids
Also called: December solstice meteors
A quiet shower around the winter solstice, best from the northern states where its radiant never sets.
- Type
- Meteor Showers
- Best season
- Winter
- Gear
- Naked eye
- When to look
- Peak around December 22; active from about December 17 to 26
- Typical rate
- About 10 an hour, with occasional higher bursts
- Source
- Comet 8P/Tuttle
- Radiant
- Near Ursa Minor, in the far north sky
- Best for
- Northern observers, after midnight
What you will see
- A few slow-to-medium meteors an hour.
- Meteors in the northern sky radiating from near the Little Dipper.
- Occasional higher bursts in some years.
How to watch
- Get away from city lights to a dark site with a wide view of the sky, and lie back in a reclining chair or on a pad.
- Let your eyes adapt to the dark for 20 to 30 minutes and keep white light and phone screens off.
- Look at the whole sky rather than staring at one spot, since meteors can appear anywhere.
- Dress for winter and be patient.
- Check the Moon: a bright Moon makes this shower hard to see.
Constellations to know
Field notes
The Ursids are overshadowed by the Geminids, but they give a quiet end-of-year show if the sky is dark and the Moon is down.
Related guides
Dates and times repeat from year to year but shift slightly, and the Moon's phase and the planets' positions are different every year. Check a current source such as NASA, the American Meteor Society, or a stargazing app before you plan a night out, and check the weather forecast for clear skies.