A full moon and cloud cover in places will have hindered some from seeing the meteor shower over Ireland’s skies this weekend.
The Geminids, known for their particularly bright shooting stars, reached their peak activity overnight on Friday and Saturday.
Breaks in the cloud on Friday will have allowed those who braved the cold to spot the display.
More: Shower of shooting stars to tear through skies overnight, over Ireland
However, even if you were fortunate to have a clear view of the sky, the full moon might have hindered any sightings.
Full Moon
“Meteors are very fleeting things; they go for a second or so and then they disappear,” said Dr Apostolos Christou, an astronomer at Armagh Observatory who specialises in comets and asteroids.
“This year, we had the problem that the full moon was on at the same time.
“The full moon tends to wash out the fainter meteors, so the shower wouldn’t have been as spectacular as it can be because of the presence of the moon.”
Perseverance
Dr Christou said that he wasn’t able to spot any meteors on Friday due to the weather but added that the key to observation is perseverance.
“If you don’t catch them one year, or the year after, if you persevere you will eventually see a good display,” he said.
“There are several meteor showers, not quite as strong as the Geminids, but in the same ballpark.
“One of the best to watch is the Perseids in August,” he added.
“This is probably the best-watched meteor shower of the year, not because it’s the strongest, but because it’s in the summer.”
“It’s easier to stay out and observe it.”
When is the next meteor shower in Ireland?
Dr Christou added that the best time to watch a meteor shower “tends to be the most unsociable hour possible,” meaning a lot of people don’t go out to observe them in general.
Look up for the #Geminids tonight!
— NASA (@NASA) December 13, 2024
One of the most reliable meteor showers of the year, the Geminids will peak on the night of Dec. 13-14 — though a bright moon may make them more difficult to spot than usual. Get the full details: https://t.co/Ojl0gjhqF5 pic.twitter.com/MoCuscXjYD
However, for those who may have missed out on the Geminids this year, the next meteor shower is set to take place in early January.
The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on January 4.
According to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, it is among the ‘strongest and most consistent meteor showers of the year’.
The next chance to see the Geminids will be next December.
“They happen exactly a year apart, like clockwork,” said Dr Christou.