The Ursids meteor shower is expected to produce around 10 meteors per hour at its peak during that period, and visibility will depend on weather conditions.

The Ursids meteor shower is active every year from December 17 to December 24, and is sometimes referred to as the “Christmas fireballs” due to its appearance close to the holiday season.

The source of the Ursids meteor shower is Comet 8P/Tuttle. Like other comets, 8P/Tuttle releases a trail of rocky debris and dust as it passes close to the Sun. Each December, Earth travels through this debris stream, causing the particles to enter the atmosphere, burn up, and appear as meteors.

Space.com website also shared that the Ursid meteor shower coincides with the date of the winter solstice - the point when Earth's axis is tilted furthest from the sun, granting the northern hemisphere the longest night of the year.

It suggested that sky-watchers should allow up to 30 minutes for their eyes to fully adjust to the dark that will help them spot the faintest meteors in the near-pristinely dark December sky.

If observers miss the Ursids, they won’t have to wait long as from December 28, another meteor shower named the Quadrantids will begin to appear.

This shower is usually considered the meteor shower of the following year, as it will not reach its peak until the night of January 3 and the early morning of January 4, 2026.

Vietnam welcomes first meteor shower of 2025

VOV.VN -Local astronomy lovers will have the chance to enjoy the sight of the Quadrantids, the first major meteor shower of the year, as it reaches its peak between nightfall and dawn on January 4.