A “spectacular” meteor shower is expected to light up skies across the UK this weekend, giving stargazers a chance to see up to 150 shooting stars per hour.
The mesmerizing Geminid meteor shower, which is referred to as a “meteor storm” because of its intensity, is forecast to peak sometime between this Saturday and Sunday.
The meteor shower, which returns every December, usually lights up the sky with a bright flurry of multi-colours – mainly there will be white, yellow, green, red and blue streaks across the sky.
These colours are partly caused by the presence of traces of metals like sodium and calcium, the same effect that is used to make fireworks colourful.
The shower also tends to favour lucky spectators in the Northern Hemisphere, and it appears in the Gemini constellation. You can catch the clearest glimpse once night falls, and the darker the conditions the better.
Geminids are also unique for another reason – they are the only known meteor shower to originate from an asteroid. The shower has been known to produce over 150 meteors per hour at its peak to the naked eye.
Experts believes the optimal time to see the Geminid meteor shower will be at around 2am on December 15.
While a streak of shooting stars may be visible earlier, around 9pm or 10pm local time on December 14 in the UK and US, Dr Shyam Balaji, an astroparticle physics and cosmology researcher at King’s College London, has suggested going outside later in the night to enjoy a better display.
The expert told The Sun: “The best time to view the Geminid meteor shower is around 2am local time. When the radiant point is highest in the sky.”
However, there is one small downfall as light pollution and other factors mean that in reality the actual number visible is far less.
Some of the fainter meteors will be blocked out by the lunar glow of a near-full moon, meaning this weekend’s shower may not be quite as spectacular as during previous years.
“The waxing gibbous phase is when the moon is more than 50% illuminated but not yet a full moon,” explains NASA. The space agency added: “Usually during the Geminids, you can often catch 50 or more meteors per hour, but with the moonlit skies in 2024, you might only catch the brightest meteors, reducing rates down to about 15 meteors per hour.
“This is still better than other annual showers like the Lyrids, but it will be a poor showing compared to that of the Geminids under a moonless sky.”
NASA considers this phenomenon to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
To catch a glimpse of the dazzling lights NASA advises finding an area well away from the city lights or street lights during the night and predawn hours.
Once you have found the perfect spot, lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.
After half an hour your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors which will put on a show for you until at least dawn.
If you can’t find Gemini in the sky, try using a sky map app like Night Sky.
Some of the best stargazing spots across Britain include renowned locations, including the three famous Dark Sky Reserves – Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Exmoor national parks. Another great spot, which has been dubbed Europe’s largest Dark Sky Park, is at Northumberland National Park and the adjoining Kielder Water and Forest Park.
The annual event lasts from December 4 to 20.
But activity peaks this weekend, from December 13 to 15.
