Two meteor showers to brighten the December sky. Here’s how to see the shooting stars.

Two meteor showers will be gracing the night sky in December, including one that is known for producing lots of bright shooting stars.

The first one on tap is the Geminid meteor shower, and it will be followed by a late-month meteor shower known as the Ursids.

When to see the Geminid meteor shower

The annual Geminid meteor shower often produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour and even as many as 120 per hour in dark locations during its peak period of activity.

Although this meteor shower started in late November and will last through Christmas Eve this year, the Geminids are expected to be at their best during the evening hours on Tuesday, Dec. 13, into the early-morning hours on Wednesday, Dec. 14, according to astronomy experts at EarthSky.org.

Because the December moon will be about 75% full, it will likely be tough to see the faintest meteors. But experts say the Geminids are known to produce meteors that are white and bright, so many should be visible this year.

While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids are actually small fragments of an asteroid, known as 3200 Phaethon. (Another meteor shower that’s linked to an asteroid is the Quadrantids, peaking in early January.)

The Geminids were named after the constellation Gemini, “because the meteors seem to emerge from this constellation in the sky,” says TimeAndDate.com.

When to see the Ursid meteor shower

The final meteor shower of 2022 will be the Ursid meteor shower, which will be visible in the northern hemisphere from Dec. 17 through Dec. 26 and will likely reach its peak during the late-night hours of Dec. 22 into the early morning hours on Dec. 23.

“Visibility should be good for the 2022 Ursid meteor shower,” Space.com says. “The sky will be void of bright moonlight, as the new moon arrives on Dec. 23.”

The Ursid meteor shower usually generates only five to 10 shooting stars per hour, with the highest numbers in the darkest locations. However, once in a while, this meteor shower over-performs.

Viewing tips for meteor showers

As with any meteor shower, it’s best to find a viewing location that is as far away as possible from bright city lights or street lights. And make sure you bundle up and bring extra blankets if the weather in your area is cold.

Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark sky.

Even though meteor showers get their names from the constellation where they radiate from, astronomy experts say it’s best to not focus on those parts of the sky.

“You don’t want to look towards these constellations to see the meteors, but all around the sky,” said Amie Gallagher, planetarium director at Raritan Valley Community College and secretary for the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society.

“You don’t need to use a telescope or binoculars to watch a meteor shower,” Gallagher noted. “Just use your eyes and scan the sky.” She said the timing of your viewing also makes a difference in the number of shooting stars you can spot.

“Meteor showers are best watched after midnight,” Gallagher said. “That’s when the part of the Earth that you are on is moving into the stream of debris in space left behind by the parent comet.”

However, with this year’s Geminid meteor shower, the bright moonlight might interfere with visibility during the late-night hours and after midnight. Because of that, Gallagher says, “you might have better luck looking for meteors in the evening, before the moon rises.”

In the New York City region, the moon is scheduled to start rising at about 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 and about 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 14, according to TimeAndDate.com.

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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.

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