When and how to observe the Ursis meteor shower in 2025

At the end of December, Russians will be able to observe the last meteor shower of the year — Ursis. This starfall will fall on the longest night of the year and will be clearly visible from the Northern Hemisphere. The conditions for observations will be favorable, as the Moon will not prevent you from seeing shooting stars. For information on when and how best to observe Ursids in 2025, see the Izvestia article.

What is the Ursis Meteor Shower?

Ursis is an annual meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation Ursa Minor. Its activity is observed from December 17 to December 26, and the peak traditionally falls on the night of the winter solstice, on December 22. At this time, up to 10 meteors per hour appear in the night sky.

The name of the stream directly indicates its origin — from the Latin name of Ursa Minor. Meteors appear to be shooting out of an area located next to the star Kohab, one of the brightest in the Maly Kovsh asterism and the second brightest in this constellation.

This feature makes Ursides a unique "circumpolar" stream: for observers in the Northern Hemisphere, its radiant never sets below the horizon, so meteors can be searched for in the sky throughout the night.

The progenitor of the stream is comet 8P/Tuttle, which orbits the Sun with a period of about 13.6 years. When the Earth crosses a plume of dust particles left by this comet on its orbital path, the smallest fragments the size of a grain of sand crash into the atmosphere at a speed of about 35 km/s and burn up, creating the effect of "shooting stars".

History of observations of Ursids

Compared to other well-known streams such as the Perseids or Leonids, the Ursids were discovered relatively recently and remained poorly understood for a long time. The first evidence of the observation of this stream dates back to the turn of the XIX–XX centuries and is attributed to the English astronomer William Denning.

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However, the systematic study of Ursids began only in the middle of the 20th century, after the Czechoslovak astronomer Antonin Bechvarj recorded their meteoric activity in 1945. This observation marked the beginning of systematic studies of starfall.

Ursids are known for their unpredictability. On average, the flow shows modest activity, but in some years there are powerful surges. The most significant were recorded in 1945 and 1986, when the number of outbreaks reached up to 100 per hour.

Scientists attribute these bursts to the approach of the parent comet 8P/Tuttle to the Sun, as a result of which it leaves denser clumps of particles in its path.

Conditions for observing Ursids in 2025

According to the Moscow Planetarium, the conditions for observing the last starfall of the year are favorable. An Earth satellite doesn't hurt to see meteors. After the December new moon, which fell on the 20th, the illumination of the lunar disk will be only 6%.

This means that on the night of Ursid peak, only a thin crescent moon will be visible in the sky. Such weak light will not create significant illumination of the sky. Thus, the visibility of meteors will depend only on weather conditions.

Since Ursid meteors have an average velocity and most often look dim, it is important to exclude any sources of extraneous illumination, as well as hope for clear, cloudless weather. It is better to check the weather forecast in your region in advance.

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How to properly observe the Ursids on December 22

No special equipment is required to observe the meteor shower. All you need is patience, proper preparation, and clear skies. However, the key condition is the absence of urban illumination. The ideal option would be a rural area with an open view of the northern horizon, as it is from there that the "shooting stars" will appear.

You can start monitoring on the evening of December 21 as soon as it gets dark. But the pre-dawn period will be the best time. At this time, the Ursid radiant will rise as high as possible above the horizon, which increases the chances of seeing more meteors. They will be visible until the morning of Monday, December 22.

Usually the brightest traces are visible at a distance of 30-40 degrees from the radiant point. You can determine the exact location of Ursis using special astronomical applications, such as Sky Tonight or Star Walk 2. However, before starting to observe, the eyes should be allowed to adapt to the dark for about 20-30 minutes.

If the weather turns out to be unfavorable on the night of Ursid peak, then observations can be postponed to December 23. The activity of the stream will be lower, but still noticeable.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the most spectacular stream of December — the Geminids.

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