Geminid meteor shower peaks with a full moon this week

The night sky this week offers a couple of events worth looking up for if the skies are clear in Kamloops and the Okanagan.

The full moon officially arrives at 9:12 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

If the clouds make way, the moon’s illumination should be visible all night, rising in the east around sunset and peaking high in the sky around midnight.

On Saturday, this year’s Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak, but the time coincides with this week’s full moon, making for some extra light in the sky that could diminish some of the lesser meteors.

The Geminid meteor shower is a highlight of the meteor year, according to earth sky.org.

The meteors tend to be distinct, white and quick. The shower is expected to be best seen around 2 a.m. on Dec. 13 and 14.

The meteors appear in all parts of the sky. Observers should allow at least an hour to watch the sky, as it takes about 20 minutes for eyes to adapt to the dark.

Under optimum conditions, the meteor shower should present 10 to 15 meteors per hour, but finding an ideal viewing location in Kamloops and the Okanagan might be difficult this year, as the forecast for Saturday night calls for cloudy skies.

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