Brace yourself for Gamma Ursae Minorid meteor shower 2024 | Details and some fun facts

Gamma Ursae Minroid meteor shower 2024: The year’s second meteor shower peak is making its way through the chilly nights to grace the gloomy night skies. The Gamma Ursae Minroid meteor shower has been active since January 15 and will continue to dazzle.

But the meteor shower will reach its peak and light up the night sky on January 19. The shower will be best visible before dawn or after dusk on Thursday, which is around January 19, as per Space.com.

Here is everything to know about the upcoming meteor shower:

The shower will reach its peak on January 19 at around 11:00 am EST, hence it is best to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars either before dawn or after dusk on Thursday when the sky is dark.

According to Space.com, the Gamma-Ursae Minorid meteor shower isn’t one of the flashiest of annual meteor showers, even at its peak. It is expected to produce only three meteor showers per hour. But as the moon in the coming days will be close to its new moon phase, it will be completely dark, which will produce little moonlight, providing a perfect platform for a meteor to light up.

To capture the best sight of the Minroids, it is suggested to travel to a location away from city and street lights, as well as air pollution. Give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the dark and you’ll have a clear chance of catching January’s Gamma-Ursae Minorids.

The Gamma Ursae Minroids will be visible from India too at around 9:30 pm IST. The meteor will make a slight appearance in India on January 19 which can be seen up to midnight. 

Just like any other meteor shower, the Gamma Ursae Minroids occur when Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet. The debris that creates this specific meteor shower enters Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 67,000 miles per hour, which then burn up less than 100 miles above the surface of the Earth, Space.com reports.

(With inputs from agencies)