The waxing gibbous moon – at 86% illumination – will mask much of hte Ursids display in 2023 until the moon sets about three hours before sunrise.
This low-key meteor shower is somewhat overlooked dueto the season and that its rates are much lower than the popular Geminids, peaking just a week before. Ursids range from December 13 to 24, so some may intermingle with the peak of the Geminids. The Ursids usuallypeak around the December solstice, perhaps offering five to 10 meteorsper hour during the predawn hours in a dark sky.
The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790.
