Get ready for a celestial surprise! While the Geminids have rightfully earned their fame as December's most renowned meteor shower, there's another, often overlooked, display that's about to peak. Enter the December Ursids, a meteor shower that, despite its lack of mainstream attention, has a few tricks up its sleeve.
The Ursids get their name from their origin point near the bright star Kochab, found in the constellation Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. This star, along with its companion Pherkad, appears to circle the North Star, Polaris, like sentinels. And here's the intriguing part: Kochab's position near the north pole of the sky means it never sets for most viewers in the Northern Hemisphere. So, if you're in the right place, you can catch these faint, medium-speed meteors all night long.
The best time to spot the Ursids is during the last dark hour before dawn, when the radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to originate) is highest above the horizon. On the morning of its peak, you might see anywhere from 5 to 10 Ursids per hour. These meteors streak through our atmosphere at a speed of 22 miles per second, creating a beautiful display of medium-speed streaks across the night sky.
But here's where it gets controversial: 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, and several lesser enhancements have been reported in more recent years. These outbursts might be linked to the proximity of the shower's parent comet, 8P/Tuttle, which has an orbit of 13.6 years around the Sun. However, some peaks have occurred when the comet was at the far end of its orbit, making predictions tricky.
So, will the Ursids surprise us this year? While no unusually strong activity has been forecasted for 2025, there's always a chance for an unexpected display. Meteor expert Jérémie Vaubaillon's computer simulations suggest the densest section of the stream is near Earth on December 22, around 5:00 a.m. EST, but without a pronounced peak.
If you're an early riser and the skies are clear, why not step outside and check the northern sky? With December's nearly new moon, it's the perfect opportunity to end the year with a celestial treat.
This article was written by Joe Rao, an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. Joe is also a veteran meteorologist and eclipse chaser, and his work has been featured in Natural History magazine, Sky & Telescope, and other publications. You can find him on Twitter and YouTube, tracking celestial events and sharing his expertise.
