Saturday December 21, 2024

Ursids Meteor Shower Peak (overnight)

The Ursids meteor shower, which is produced by particles of debris dropped by the periodic comet 8P/Tuttle, runs from December 17 to 26 every year. The
weak, short-duration shower will peak (usually with only 5 to 10 meteors visible in an hour) while Earth is traversing the densest part of the debris field on Sunday morning in the Americas, but the best time to watch for Ursids meteors will be Saturday evening, December 21 before the bright, waning
gibbous moon rises around midnight local time. True Ursids will streak away from a location near the North Star Polaris, but the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Northern Winter Solstice

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere will officially commence in the Americas on Saturday, December 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST and 1:21 a.m. PST, or 09:21 UT. At the solstice, the sun will attain its southernmost declination for the year, resulting in the lowest elevation in the sky of the noonday sun, the least amount of solar insolation, and the shortest amount of daylight of the year. Conversely, the Southern Hemisphere will see its highest sun and maximum daylight hours for the year. After the December solstice, the amount of daylight time will begin to increase for the Northern Hemisphere.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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