While thousands and thousands of Christmas lights turn this Little Red Dot into a sparkle fest, our skies are also putting in their due work to bring us some extra magic. This December, sky-watchers are in for a special treat to end off the year with not one, but two meteor showers occurring within a week of each other. Weather permitting, these clusters of shooting stars will be visible to the naked eye, so keep your eyes on the skies and you might just catch a glimpse. Don’t forget to make a wish!
First up is the Geminid Meteor Shower. Though currently active till December 20, the Geminids will peak on December 13 and 14, so those are the dates you’d want to take note of. You’ll have to stay up for this, as the Science Centre Singapore advises that it’s best viewed at around 12am – with the perfect combination of good weather, dark moonless skies, and of course an ideal viewing location devoid of bright city lights.
Following that is the Ursid Meteor Shower, peaking on the night between December 21 and 22. The most ideal time to try catching the Ursids is during the pre-dawn hours, before sunrise.
Between the two, the Geminid Meteor Shower will be more easily viewable, as you can expect to see up to 120 meteors per hour during the peak. According to the Science Centre, “The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored, but due to their medium-slow velocity, persistent trains are not usually seen.”
On the other hand, only five to 10 meteors are usually seen during the Ursid Meteor Shower, though there have been rare instances in which there have been larger bursts of more than 25 meteors per hour.
Those interested in astronomy can stay updated on Science Centre Singapore’s stargazing sessions, complete with telescopes, here.
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