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The Ursids meteor shower will peak tonight and tomorrow. Last meteor shower of the year will offer skywatchers a chance to see nearly 10 shooting stars per hour.
Stargazers can brace for another surreal display of shooting stars which will mark the last meteor shower of the year. Those who missed Geminid meteor shower must not worry as nature is bringing forth another dazzling experience to light up the night skies. The Ursids meteor shower is set to brighten the skies tonight as the stunning cosmic display will attain its peak today and tomorrow.
As Earth traverses through the debris trail of comet 8P/Tuttle, cosmic enthusiasts will be able to see nearly 10 meteors in an hour during its peak. The Ursids meteor shower, which came into action around 17 December, will remain active till 26 December.
When and where to watch Ursids meteor shower?
As per Time and Date, Ursids meteor shower will peak between 22 and 23 December. According to the American Meteor Society, it is possible to see around 10 shooting stars per hour at its peak. This cosmic display is named the Ursids after the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as Little Dipper, because the meteors seem to radiate from its direction in the sky.
It is important to note that the Ursid meteor shower coincides with the date of the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year as the Earth's axis is tilted furthest from the sun.
Skygazers in Delhi must make arrangements to observe the skies between 5:30 PM and 10:30 PM today but the best view of shooting stars in action will be around 10:30 PM.
Region-wise specific time is given below:
Kolkata- 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Mumbai - 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Chennai - 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Hyderabad - 5:30 PM to 10:30 PM
How to experience the magic of Ursids?
- For the best viewing experience, look for a dark secluded place away from pollution and noise of the city.
- Use phone applications to find a patch of sky 40 degrees above the bright star in the direction of local zenith.
- “Meteor showers appear to originate from the radiant, but meteors can appear in any part of the sky,”Time and Date said.
- No special equipment is needed to view the shooting stars.
- “The darker your sky, the better the shower is going to be,” AP quoted Canada's Western University astronomer Peter Brown as saying.
- Moon's brightness and adverse weather conditions can blot out glowing meteors.
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