Topline
Warmly-dressed skywatchers with clear skies should brace for some of the best meteor-watching of the year as the Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight. The most “shooting stars” will likely be seen after 10:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 through 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, in all time zones in North America, with up to 120 meteors per hour possible under very dark skies.
Key Facts
The Geminid meteor shower sees as many as 150 “shooting stars” during peak hours, with each one striking Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 22 miles/sec (35km/sec), according to the American Meteor Society.
It’s best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, from where the radiant constellation Gemini will be visible from around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13.
A crescent moon will rise around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, slightly bleaching the night sky and making “shooting stars” harder to see.
The Geminids are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in color, according to NASA, although other colors, including green, red and blue, can sometimes be seen.
The Geminids are the only annual meteor shower to be produced by an asteroid, called 3200 Phaethon, which takes 1.4 years to orbit the sun. It may have been created during an explosion or a high-speed collision between two objects, according to researchers.
The Best Way To See The Geminid Meteor Shower
The Geminids appear to come from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the night sky. Since Gemini rises around 10:00 p.m. as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, that’s when to begin looking, though head outside after midnight when the constellation Gemini is higher in the eastern sky to increase your chances. Get as far from light pollution as possible — possibly to a Dark Sky Place — and allow your eyes about 20 minutes to dark-adapt. Use a red flashlight and don’t look at your smartphone, whose white light will instantly reset your night vision. Dress warmly, bring extra layers, hot drinks, and a blanket, and lie back in a recliner.
