Geminid meteor shower: When and where to see hundreds of shooting stars in UK tonight
Stargazers should keep their eyes peeled for the chance to see up to 100 shooting stars in one hour this weekend.
The Geminid meteor shower is predicted to be visible until December 20, but its biggest display will be on the night of Saturday through Sunday.
Meteors can be seen all over the world, but those in the northern hemisphere will get the best view.
Britain could have a spectacular view if the weather permits, astronomers say.
Deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr. “You can expect to see maybe up to 100 meteors per hour, so maybe one or two per minute, which would be a great sight; one of the strongest showers of the year,” Robert Massey said.
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
Meteors are pieces of debris that evaporate and cause bright streaks of light as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 40 miles per second.
The Geminid meteor shower is bright, fast and very colorful. Instead of being colorless or white like other meteors, the streaks have a greenish tint when burned up in Earth’s atmosphere. This is due to their chemical composition; oxygen, magnesium and nickel generally produce a green color.
The downpour was first seen in 1862 and is thought to have intensified with each passing year.
It is known to produce more than 120 meteors per hour at its peak; but light pollution and cloud cover can mean not all of them can be seen.
How can I watch?
Geminids are best seen with the naked eye, so you don’t need to use a telescope or binoculars to get a look.
“The great thing about meteor showers, including the Geminids, is that the best way to see them is with the naked eye,” Dr Massey said.
“If you get a telescope or binoculars you automatically limit your view of the sky, and with a meteor shower what you want is the widest view possible; you want to lie down and look at the wide spectrum of stars and watch the meteors,” he added.
Dr Massey explained that stargazers should be wary of a brief streak of light that lasts about a second.
“It usually happens so quickly that it’s impossible to tell someone you’re together, so you have to keep your eyes up,” she said.
What will the weather be like?
Unfortunately, weather may limit visibility of the meteor shower this weekend due to rain and wind and cloud forecasts for the weekend.
But if there are breaks in gloomy weather, avoiding cities and towns will give viewers the best opportunity to see a shooting star.
“The best view is if you’re away from sources of light pollution, so at least try to get away from direct lights in towns and cities, and ideally in the countryside. You also need clear skies; if it’s cloudy you won’t see anything,” Dr Massey said.
