Last Meteor Shower of 2023 to Light up the Sky for the Holidays

The Ursids Meteor Shower

The last meteor shower of 2023, the Ursids, is set to illuminate the sky just in time for the holidays. According to the American Meteor Society, the shower will peak on Thursday night through the early morning hours of Friday. Night owls who brave the cold weather may be able to see around five to 10 meteors per hour.

This year, the Ursids will coincide with the winter solstice, which marks the longest night of the year for the Northern Hemisphere. The sun will be at its most southerly position at 8:27 p.m. MT, according to EarthSky. The best time to view the meteors will be between 3 a.m. and dawn local time on Friday, after the moon has set.

Ideal Viewing Conditions

Amidst the bright light emitted by the 74% full moon on the night of the peak, Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society, advises that the best time to view the Ursids will be after the moon has set. Weather conditions permitting, sky gazers in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best visibility. Lunsford suggests that those in Alaska or Northern Canada may have an advantage as the radiant constellation will be higher in the sky earlier in the night for them.

Unlike other meteor showers that may have several days of maximum activity, the Ursids have a relatively short span of peak activity. The rate of five to 10 meteors per hour will only be observed during the night and early morning hours of the peak. In the days leading up to and following the peak, the Ursids will produce around one meteor per hour. The shower began in mid-December and will remain active until December 24.

The Ursids Meteor Shower and Scientific Research

The Ursid meteor shower is unique as its radiant is not a zodiac constellation. Instead, the Ursids appear to originate from the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper. By logging the time, magnitude, and other characteristics of meteor sightings, researchers can gather valuable information about the region of space within Earth's orbital path.

According to Robert Lunsford, the data collected from meteor sightings helps researchers understand the density of debris clouds and the timing of Earth's journey through them. This information is crucial in studying meteor showers and predicting their behavior for future years. As the Ursids are not as commonly observed as other meteor showers, such as the Geminids, the data collected from this event can be particularly valuable to researchers.

Contributions to this data collection effort can be made by anyone, including casual sky gazers. The American Meteor Society encourages individuals to report their meteor sightings through its website. The Ursids will be the final celestial event of 2023, with the Quadrantids meteor shower set to peak on January 4, 2024.