Skygazers in Cumbria could be in luck on Monday and in the early hours of Tuesday, December 14 as the Geminid meteor shower is set to light up the skies.
The display returns every December, and this year is set to peak during the night of Monday, December 13 and the early morning of December 14.
How to see the Geminid meteor shower
There is no need to use binoculars or a telescope, it can be viewed with the naked eye. However, it is best not to look directly at the radiant as this can limit the number of meteors people can see.
It is best not to look directly at the radiant as this can limit the number of meteors people can see.
Instead, people should look just to the side in a dark area of the sky for a better chance of seeing the display.
Met Office Cumbria weather forecast for Geminid shower
The Met Office forecast for Cumbrian skygazers hoping to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon is cautiously optimistic.
Severe cloud on Sunday night appears to disperse in the early hours of Monday, December 13, hopefully providing clear skies for keen skygazers, with just a small threat of cloud reappearing.
The forecast for Monday states: “Much brighter through the morning and dry. Possibly becoming cloudier from the south with some further rain in the evening.”
Patchy rain is predicted for Tuesday, with clouds reappearing later in the week.
Keep up to date with the weather forecast and the chance to view the Geminid meteor shower on the Met Office Website.
If you are heading outside on Sunday then you may need a #4Cast
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 11, 2021
Check out the details below 👇 pic.twitter.com/MgdJeEhLnH
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
Meteors are pieces of debris that enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70km per second, vaporising and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.
Geminids are very bright, moderately fast, and are unusual in being multi-coloured.
They are mainly white; however some are yellow and a few are green, red and blue. This is partly caused by the presence of metals like sodium and calcium. These are the same elements used to make fireworks colourful.
The shower is known to produce more than 100 meteors an hour at its peak, although light pollution and other factors mean that in reality the actual number visible is far fewer.
The source of the shooting stars is a stream of debris left behind by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, making this one of the only major showers not to originate from a comet.
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