Astronomers say up to 20 times more shooting stars will be seen across tonight and Wednesday night’s skies - compared to a normal evening - as the Geminid Meteor Shower reaches its peak activity.
The Geminids are caused by tiny pieces of space debris, bits of dust that fell off a small extinct comet or asteroid called Phaethon that goes around the Sun every one and a half years.
"It has probably been around the Sun thousands of times and has spat out dust particles that have now spread all around its orbit," said Mr. Moore.
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David Moore, founder of Astronomy Ireland, the world's most popular astronomy club revealed: "It is only because of members of the public monitoring this shower that we know that the Geminids in December is the best of the year.
"In past decades the Perseid Meteor Shower in August was the best but this has declined somewhat in recent years to leave the Geminids reigning supreme.
“This is also good news for the public because that August shower cannot be well seen until 11pm but the Geminids begins as soon as it gets dark, around 5:00 pm and runs until dawn". he said.
What to look for
Geminid Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Their paths all point back to the constellation Geminid, hence the name, but that is not the best place to look.
The Moon is out of the way until 10:00 pm this year so those in rural areas will get views until then. But city dwellers will see plenty as the Geminids are known for producing bright fireballs.
You should fill your field of vision with the sky. This may involve craning your neck back so you can barely see the horizon at the bottom of your field of vision. A deck chair or sun lounger is ideal for this. Even a blanket on the ground.
When to watch
The Geminid meteor shower lasts for about 2 weeks (December 4 - 20).
The shower peaks around midday on Wednesday so rates will be highest Tuesday night and Wednesday nights (December 13 and 14).
The best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight as with all showers but do start watching from 6:00 pm. All night long if you can.
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