Christmas is upon us and so is the Ursid meteor shower! Here’s where to catch a glimpse if you’re spending the festive weekend in Germany.

Ursid meteor shower visible from December 22, 2023

Adding a little more sparkle to Christmas, the Ursid meteor shower is set to be visible from Germany this weekend, peaking in the skies on December 23.

The starry shower will be visible from December 22 and will peak the following day. The early robin catches the freshest of frosty worms, so if you want to see the skies at their starriest then you’ll have to be up at 4.30am on both days. Remember your long johns. 

“On these days the current will be relatively strong and the moon will have set,” Uwe Pilz, representative of the VdS, a German association of people interested in astronomy, told the dpa. The best views of the shower are expected to last around two hours and will offer up to 10 shooting stars per hour, at least if the weather goes along with the plans.

Where are the best places to see the Ursid shower?

Those living in the northern federal states have the best bet of a good meteor shower view. But there are several locations all over the country which are particularly good for stargazing.

People living in Westhavelland, Brandenburg, can get some of the best views in the north. Further south, people around and in the Eifel mountain range in North Rhine-Westphalia can also catch an excellent display. 

In Hesse, people around the Rhön mountains or in Fulda will have front-row seats for nature’s fireworks. Finally, anyone on a skiing holiday will get an extra cherry on top of their pre-Christmas magic, with great views available in the Winklmoosalm ski resort area in Bavaria.

Thumb image credit: Diane Kulpinski / Shutterstock.com