Perfect conditions to view ‘best meteor shower of the year’ in Manitoba 

The night sky will be alight as hundreds of meteorites zip through space above Earth over the next 24 hours.

One Winnipeg expert says the Geminids meteor shower — one of the most intense events of its kind — is a chance for Manitobans to come face to face with the final frontier.

Scott Young, who has worked as the astronomer at the Manitoba Museum’s planetarium for more than 30 years, says the event takes place as the Earth moves through a trail of galactic dust, which are the remains of an asteroid.

He says as the dust enters the Earth’s atmosphere, travelling at hundreds of kilometres per second, it explodes into a bright burst of light, which can be seen by the human eye, putting the expanse of space on full display. 

“This is the best meteor shower of the year,” said Young. “It’s a powerful thing to connect with the cosmos. To be out there, under the stars, and see the vastness of the universe firsthand.

“The cosmos have these amazing sights and if you’re lucky enough to catch one of them, it’s very impactful.” 

Young feels while examining the wonders of space in photographs and videos can be powerful, there’s something special about being able to view such an immense galactic event like the Geminids with your own eyes. Materials that have travelled thousands of miles through space, he explains, will be reaching individuals on Earth through the observation of the event. 

“There’s a personal connection that is really kind of hard to describe, but it’s a very magical thing, really. And something like a meteor shower, it’s so easy for the average person to observe, you don’t need a telescope, you don’t need a computer — you don’t need any of that stuff,” said Young.

However, he says there are some tips to follow if you’re planning to take in the space-bound show, saying people should be able to see shooting stars shortly after dark and will see them better if they travel outside of the city to a provincial park or other designated spaces. 

As global conversations are happening about the Earth’s place in the wider galactic realm, Young hopes events like these help connect people to the universe in a way they may not have experienced before.  

“We’re in space now. We’re on a little rock hurdling around a star in a spiral galaxy. We never think of it that way, we think of the stars out there, but we’re part of this huge, vast system and that’s humbling, and it’s also really profound and you feel that when you’re out under the stars.”