2022 is almost over, but it will end in awe through a mesmerizing show of celestial fireworks. If you’re like most people out there, surely you can appreciate meteor showers unfolding in the night sky right before your eyes. You may feast your eyes on such cosmic bodies with or without binoculars, as the Universe is generous enough to delight the eyes of everyone. All you need is to pick a good spot from where you can see a cloudless sky. 

The two meteor showers that will dominate the night sky this month are known as the Geminids and the Ursids. While the latter will show itself toward the end of the month, you’re a lot luckier when it comes to the first one. Keep reading to find out what’s the deal with the two meteor showers!

The Geminids produce 50 to 100 meteors per hour

The Geminids meteor shower has already started in late November, but you still have a lot of time to admire its glory. The celestial show will last through Christmas Eve. Furthermore, the peak is scheduled for tomorrow, December 13. This means that you should definitely already buy tickets to the celestial show and cancel any other events you might have for tomorrow. 

The cosmic object to blame for the Geminids meteor shower is the one known as the  3200 Phaethon, meaning a Palladian asteroid that features a “rock comet” orbit. The constellation of origin is one known simply as Gemini, and it’s located near Castor. 

The Geminids meteor shower was discovered back in 1862, and it’s considered among the only meteor showers, along with Quadrantids, as the only celestial phenomenon of this kind not to have their origin in comets.

The Geminids meteor shower occurs every year, which means that there’s no use getting too upset if you somehow miss the 2022 edition.

The Ursids will debut in less than a week

You should definitely not neglect the impact that the Ursids meteor shower can have on a person as soon as it unfolds in the night sky. This cosmic phenomenon will start on December 17, while its end is scheduled by the Creator for the first or second day of Christmas. 

The Ursids will create somewhere between 5 to 10 meteors per hour, which shouldn’t be disappointing for you. The radiant point of the Ursids is located near the star Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab), which has its place in the constellation Ursa Minor. The meteor shower was discovered relatively recently, meaning back in the 20th century. A British amateur astronomer known as William F. Denning is the one who discovered the Ursids.

The Ursids meteor shower is believed to be caused by the debris of ice and dust that the Comet 8P/Tuttle leaves behind as it passes through the Solar System. The comet completes a full orbit around the Sun in 13.5 years. 

Although the Ursids will show what they’re made of only over the course of a week, that will be all you need to admire the celestial show in all its glory. 

The Ursa Minor constellation is located about 195,000 light-years away from Earth, all the way in the far northern sky. The brightest star in the constellation of Ursa Minor is Polaris. With an orbital period of 30 years, Polaris is about 50 times larger than our Sun. 

You should definitely also be eager to spot some exciting fireballs in the night sky for this time of the year, and indeed social media will be teeming with footage of such cosmic phenomenon.

Which one of the two meteor showers in question are you most excited about, Geminids or Ursids? Feel free to tell us in a comment below!

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