The best time to get out and see the Ursid meteor shower will be on the night of 22\/23 December<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Ursid shower has its radiant position \u2013 the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to emanate \u2013 close to the star Kochab (Beta (\u03b2<\/span>) Ursae Minoris).<\/p>\n The Ursid meteor shower makes for a great excuse to get the family wrapped up warm and to get excited looking up at the dark winter night sky as Christmas approaches.<\/p>\n The Ursid meteor shower has a typical peak rate of 10 meteors per hour and, like the Quadrantids<\/a> which peak early in January, the maximum activity period is short.<\/p>\n For the best views you need to be observing within 12 hours of the peak, which in 2022 is expected around 22:00 UT on the night of 22 December.<\/p>\n A bright Moon will hinder Geminid meteor observations during their peak on 13\/14 December, but will be completely out of the way on 22 December, being new at 10:17 UT on 23 December.<\/p>\n Consequently, if the sky is clear on the evening of 22 December, this is a good year to try to record some Ursid meteors.<\/p>\n While the Geminid meteor shower<\/a> grabs the December limelight, the Ursid shower tends to take a back seat.<\/span><\/p>\n The peak zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of the Ursid shower is around 10 meteors per hour.<\/p>\n Zenithal hourly rate represents the number of meteors an observer could expect to see during peak activity, but under perfect conditions: clear, dark skies away from light pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n Given these caveats, if you\u2019re out in the field doing a spot of meteor watching, you should expect the actual number to be lower.<\/p>\n Meteor showers are a great astronomical phenomenon to observe because they are best seen with the naked eye, meaning you don\u2019t require any fancy equipment to spot them.<\/p>\n This also makes them great to get kids involved: even if they can\u2019t stay up until peak activity, it\u2019s a good chance to get children looking up at the night sky. For more on this, read our guide to stargazing for kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n Find a place that is dark and away from light pollution<\/a>, such as a location away from towns and cities, provided it is safe to do so and within COVID restrictions where you are.<\/p>\n If you have a back garden and live under dark skies, you already have an advantage over many other meteor observers, as you can observe from the comfort of your own garden.<\/p>\n Turn off all the lights in your house to get things really dark. Avoid using lights such as torches and mobile phones as this will spoil your natural night vision, which develops as your eyes become attuned to the darkness.<\/p>\n This is good advice whatever form of stargazing you\u2019re undertaking, as it will help you see more stars and other phenomena in the night sky.<\/p>\n It will take around 20 minutes for your eyes to dark adapt, but hopefully after a little wait you should start to see meteors shooting across the sky.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember: clear nights are cold nights, especially in December! You will be sitting still for a long time, so wrap up warm, bring something to eat and perhaps a hot drink as well.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to use a reclining chair to prevent neck-ache from looking up at the night sky for long periods.<\/p>\n The area of the sky from which a meteor shower appears to originate is known as the \u2018radiant\u2019. For example, the Geminids are so-called because they seem to radiate out from the constellation of Gemini.<\/p>\n The Ursids appear to originate from Ursa Minor, the constellation in which Polaris, or the Pole Star, can be found.<\/p>\n Read our guide on how to star hop<\/a> to help you locate Ursa Minor using the Plough asterism.\u00a0You can also use our guide on how to find the North Star<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/12\/ursid-meteor-shower-december-2022-f575dea.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C467"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How many Ursid meteors will we see?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How many Ursid meteors will be visible?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to see an Ursid meteor<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Where do I look in the sky to see an Ursid meteor?<\/strong><\/h2>\n