Geminids Meteor Shower 2023: When is it and will it be visible in Scotland?

Stargazers will have their eyes on the skies this week as the Geminids meteor shower is set to sparkle across the UK.

The Geminids meteor shower is a favourite among enthusiasts due to its very bright, moderately fast and multi-coloured meteors.

The unusual meteors will mainly be white, however some may be yellow in colour with a few green, red and blue hues.

According to the Royal Museums Greenwich, these colours are partly caused by the presence of traces of metals like sodium and calcium – the same effect that is used to make fireworks colourful.

The showers have been known to produce over 150 meteors per hour at it’s peak, though they need optimal conditions to view them.

The prolific meteor shower has been active since December 4 and is likely to peak across December 14 and 15.

The shower gets its name as it appears to emerge from the Gemini constellation in the sky.

While most meteor showers originate from comets, Geminids are leftover bits and pieces of the asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.

Asteroids don’t develop tails when approaching the Sun, and their composition is different, though scientists are still debating whether 3200 Phaethon is a asteroid or not.

Will the Geminids meteor shower be visible in Scotland?

To be in with the best chance of catching a glimpse of the meteor shower on Thursday night you’ll need clear conditions and as little light pollution as possible.

Thursday’s forecast currently looks partly cloudy throughout so stargazers may have a harder time of seeing the shower.

Enthusiasts have been advised to keep an eye on the latest forecast due to the unsettled conditions throughout the week.