The shooting stars in December 2020 have another high point just before the end of the year.
We explain how best to see the spectacle.
The
Ursids
are among the
shooting stars
in December.
Most of them can be seen around
December 22nd and 23rd
.
If you want to watch the shooting stars, you should look at the constellation Little Dipper.
Munich - Every year around Christmas time, the Ursids shine in the sky.
These shooting stars occur regularly
between December 17th and 26th
.
The Ursids reach their maximum, at which most falling stars can be seen in the sky, from December 22nd to 23rd.
This year it's a Tuesday and a Wednesday.
Why do the shooting stars fall at the same time in December every year?
The Ursids come from
comet P8 / Tuttle
.
Every December, the earth crosses its orbit and encounters fragments of the comet.
When these pieces
burn up
in the
earth's atmosphere
, the shooting stars are created, which we can clearly see at night.
The Ursids follow the 2020 Geminids shooting stars, which will peak in mid-December.
Where did the Ursids get their name from?
The origin of the name Ursiden is similar to the origin of the name of other
meteor showers
.
The
Ursids
radiant
is located in the
Ursa Minor
constellation
.
The radian is the point from which the shooting stars appear when looking from the earth to the sky.
Although the shooting stars do not really come to earth from the constellation, the term Ursa Minor has become the word Ursiden.
Incidentally, the constellation is better known as Little Bear or Little Dipper.
The Pole Star forms the outer end of Ursa Minor.
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The Big Dipper is on the right, the Small Dipper on the left.
The North Star is here at the very top at the outer end of the smaller constellation.
© A.Fujii / DavidxMalinxImages / Novapix / Leemage NOVACST3800105H
Where can you best see the Ursids in December 2020?
The Ursids occur in the entire
northern hemisphere
, but only there.
The southern hemisphere does
not get to see
these falling stars in
December
.
In the north, however, it makes no further difference where you are.
In principle you can see the shooting stars everywhere.
The most important tip is therefore of a very general nature: Find a place where there are as few light sources as possible near you.
Otherwise your eyes will not be able to see the spectacle in the sky well and you will miss many falling stars.
Locations outside of cities are best.
Pick the right
constellation
at night
and focus your attention on this region of the sky.
This works well if you orientate yourself to the north and look out for the North
Star
with its bright glow
in that direction
.
Then Ursa Minor has also been found automatically.
What are shooting stars and why do they keep coming back?
From the earth they are only a shine of light that is marked with a tail in the sky.
What is popularly known as shooting stars is actually called
meteors
in astronomical
terms
.
These are
rocks
or
dust particles
that burn up in the atmosphere.
The same phenomenon is always hidden behind a shooting star.
The brightness can still vary significantly because meteors are very different in size.
There are many objects that are in orbit around the Sun and are much smaller than planets or asteroids.
The earth goes through
several
meteor streams
in its
orbit over
the course of a year
, each of which is given its own name.
The meeting between earth and meteor streams can therefore be clearly calculated.
In November it was the turn of the 2020 Leonid Shooting Stars.
After the Ursids come the Quardantids at the end of December and beginning of January.
A total solar eclipse can also be seen in December 2020 - but not in Germany.
(rm)