This weekend, people across the UK are in with the best chance of seeing the biggest meteor shower of the year. The Geminid meteor shower, which takes place throughout December each year, is set to peak on December 14 with up to 150 meteors per hour streaking across the night sky.
The best time to view the Geminids this year will be in the evening hours of December 14, from 9pm onwards. To assist budding astronomers, experts at Saga Holidays have created a round-up of the top ten locations in the United Kingdom to see the clearest possible views of the night sky.
Different meteor showers are visible throughout the year and can be viewed from anywhere, though some regions offer better visibility. The Geminids meteor shower usually peaks during mid-December each year and is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
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The Geminids are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in colour. Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Geminids originate from an asteroid: 3200 Phaethon which orbits the sun and leaves behind a trail of minute debris. This debris vaporizes in Earths atmosphere and produces bright light streaks known as meteors as they travel across the sky at approximately 22 miles per second.
The best time to view the Geminids this year will be in the evening of December 14, with binoculars not required. The shower is perfect for younger viewers since it starts from 9pm.
South Downs National Park offers some of the clearest night skies in Britain stretching from Winchester to Eastbourne through Hampshire, as well as West and East Sussex. Following in second place is Cranborne Chase National Landscape.
Coming in third place with an average cloud cover of 62% is the North Yorkshire Moors National Park in Yorkshire. The park also became a Dark Sky Reserve in 2020 with several Dark Sky Discovery Sites located across its vast 554 square miles.
Dr Sheona Urquhart, a lecturer in astrophysics, said: “There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to the best locations for stargazing. The obvious one would be darkness – the darker the better really. Altitude also helps as you can get above the clouds to see the clearest views.
“You also don’t need fancy equipment, you’d be amazed at what you can see with a decent set of binoculars, or even with your naked eye on clear nights. These dark sky areas allow everyone, from the professional to the amateur to get out there, see the wonders of the night sky with their own eyes.”
