The Ursids, given their name because they are brightest towards the constellation of Ursa Minor, last from December 17 to Christmas Eve. EarthSky points out that the Ursids are a low-key event in terms of meteor showers.

In a dark sky with little moonlight, an observer should expect to spot around five to ten meteors per hour from the Ursids. This is in comparison to around 120 meteors per hour for the Geminids meteor shower, which peaked on December 14 and ended three days later.

Occasionally the Ursids can throw up a surprise with a burst of a hundred or so meteor flashes per hour, says EarthSky, which is enough to keep meteor watchers’ telescopes trained on the cold December skies.

The astronomy website advises that the Ursids are best seen from a country location, or somewhere else with little light pollution. It adds skywatchers should recline and get ready to watch the skies for a few hours to catch the Ursids.

That means that wrapping up warm is essential for viewing this December meteor shower as because of the waning gibbous moon following December’s Cold Moon, the light will likely drown out this weak shower this year.

The Ursid meteor shower results from Earth passing through debris left behind by the comet Tuttle (comet 8P/Tuttle) as it passes close to the sun. Tuttle orbits our star in just over 13 and a half years.

The comet last passed close to the sun in August of this year and is set to return to the inner solar system in April 2035 when it will refresh the debris that creates the Ursids.

Fragments from Tuttle hit the atmosphere burning up at an altitude of between 70 and 100 miles up. This is what produces the meteor trails and flashes.

The next meteor shower that could be observed by astronomers is the Quadrantids, beginning on December 26, and running until January 16, 2022.

Meteors.org predict that 2021’s last and 2022’s first shower will be somewhat disappointing with adverse weather conditions for viewing forecast for January. The Quadrantids, which peak between January 2 and 3, lack trains of meteors, but can still produce the occasional meteor flash.

The next major meteor shower is the Lyrids, which will run from April 16 to 25, 2022. The Lyrids, which result from Earth passing through icy debris shed by comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), will be best viewed in the northern hemisphere, peaking on Friday, April 22, 2022.