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The best places to see tonight's one-in-50-year meteor shower

Square1
iRadio

03:24 13 Dec 2018


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Some parts of the country will be luckier than others.

The Geminid meteor shower is set to prance it's way across our skies tonight.

Each and every year, between 60 and 120 meteors per hour shoot across the night sky, and this year it's set to get the closest its been to earth in the last 50 years, astronomy experts have said.

Meaning this may be your best chance to see the spectacle for a long time.

According to Astronomy Ireland, as earth moves through clouds of dust leftover from comets, the particles fall into our atmosphere and burn up, creating a streak of light in the sky known as meteors. Or perhaps you know them as shooting stars.

The shower will be clearest across Ireland tonight.

But it'll be sticking around until December 16- so if you don't catch it tonight, there's still a chance later in the week.

And the best bit? You should be able to spot the shooting stars without a telescope.

"No special equipment is needed, and you can look anywhere in the sky," an Astronomy Ireland spokesperson said.

However, one thing you do need is a clear sky. And the current weather forecast from Met Éireann shows that the southwest and west of the country will experience a break in the clouds coming into Friday morning.

"Many areas will remain cloudy, but some clearer intervals will develop in parts of the southwest and west towards dawn," the national forecaster said.

"Friday will be mostly cloudy with patchy rain, drizzle and mist on Friday morning, but a few bright or brief sunny intervals also."

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to cross Ireland on Saturday, but Sunday will be "bright and breezy".

The Geminid shower comes as news of a 'Christmas comet' is expected to pass earth later this week.

It's an exciting week for space lovers!


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