![]() 11, 1983, using the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. The Geminid shower originates from the debris of 3200 Phaethon an asteroid first discovered on Oct. So where does this magnificent shower come from? Meteors are fragments and particles that burn up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, and they usually originate from comets. The show will last for most of the night, so you have multiple opportunities to spot the brilliant streaks of light across our sky. Refrain from looking at your cell phone or other bright objects to keep your eyes adjusted. Practice patience because it will take approximately 30 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust and see the meteors. 17 – when a dedicated observer could possibly spot one or two on that night.įor prime viewing, find an area away from city and streetlights, bundle up for winter weather conditions, bring a blanket or sleeping bag for extra comfort, lie flat on your back with your feet facing south, and look up. You can still view Geminids just before or after this date, but the last opportunity is on Dec. 14, but the best rates will be seen earlier around 2 a.m. 13, making it a great viewing opportunity for any viewers who cannot be awake during later hours of the night. ![]() Credit: Jacobs Space Exploration Group/ESSCA Over 100 meteors are recorded in this composite image taken during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower in 2014. Sky watchers from the Southern Hemisphere are encouraged to find areas with minimal light pollution and look to the northern sky to improve their viewing opportunities. ![]() Gemini does not appear very high above the horizon in the Southern Hemisphere, resulting in viewers only seeing approximately 25% of the rates seen in the Northern Hemisphere, which is between 7-10 meteors per hour. However, tracing a meteor backwards to the constellation Gemini can determine if you caught a Geminid (other weaker showers occur at the same time). According to Cooke, meteors close to the radiant have very short trails and are easily missed, so observers should avoid looking at that constellation. The meteor shower is coined the Geminids because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini. But the Geminids are so bright that this should still be a good show.īill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, suggests sitting in the shade of a house or tree while also maintaining a view of the open sky to alleviate moonlight interference. However, this year a waning gibbous moon will make it harder to view most of the shower, resulting in only 30-40 visible meteors per hour at the peak in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on sky conditions. 13-14 this year.ĭuring peak activity and perfect weather conditions, which are rare, the Geminids produce approximately 100-150 meteors per hour for viewing. The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers, the Geminids Meteor shower, will peak on Dec.
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