Ursids

If you are not lucky enough to have the best conditions for viewing the Geminids at their peak, you should still be able to spot the odd shooting star into next week, and it is not long to wait until the next, and final meteor shower of 2024 - the Ursids.

Although not as bright or as frequent as the meteors that come with the Geminids, the Ursids, which peak on 23 December, could deliver five to 10 meteors per hour.

Live bear cams provided an up-close glimpse into the world of these rotund ursids as they caught sockeye salmon and engaged in other bear activities.

"When Neoepiblema inhabited South America, carnivorous placental mammals such as felids, canids and ursids had not yet arrived on the continent, since the Isthmus of Panama was not yet formed and there was no terrestrial connection with Antarctica," Ferreira added.

The Ursids are a smaller meteor shower with about 10 shooting stars an hour that peak Dec. 21-22.