New Delhi: The Ursid meteor shower occurs annually when Earth passes through debris from the comet 8P/Tuttle. In 2025, the shower is active between 17
and 26 December, peaking on the night of 21 December into the morning of 22 December. The radiant point from which the meteors appear to originate is the constellation of the Little Dipper or Ursa Minor, which can be spotted easily without a stargazing app or a planisphere, just look up at the pole star. The radiant is lower in the horizon from India compared to the higher latitudes. In dark skies, the expected rates are between five and ten meteors an hour, with occasional bursts in activity.
The New Moon occurs on 20 December, so the conditions for viewing the shower in 2025 are favourable. Athough the shower peaks on Sunday night, the intensity will be nearly the same on Saturday night as well. The meteor shower is best viewed in the pre-dawn hours before sunrise when the radiant is at the highest location in the sky. It is a good idea to head to a remote location away from polluting city lights, then face north or northeast and lie back on a reclining chair, yoga mat or charpai, and allow the eyes about 20 minutes to adapt to the darkness.
Viewing tips
It is also a good idea to dress warmly for December nights, but any light source will reduce visibility. Meteors can appear anyway in the sky, but can be traced back to the radiant. Just sit back and relax, there is no need to focus on the radiant point. Plan to observe the meteor shower for at least two hours to catch a good number of shooting stars. No special equipment is needed to observe the shower. This is the last meteor shower for the year. 21 December is the shortest day of the northern hemisphere, and the Sun will rise at around 07:10 hours IST, so it is a good idea to start between 03:30 and 04:00 hours IST.
