“Get Ready for the Best Geminid Meteor Shower in Years”
The Geminid meteor shower, which began earlier this month, is soon expected to reach its peak and could be one of the best shows in years. According to NASA, the peak of this year’s Geminid meteor shower is expected to occur during the early morning hours of December 14, with as many as 120 meteors per hour possible, making it a spectacle worth staying up for.
This year’s timing is also great news for stargazers as the December new moon is set to take place just two days before the meteor shower peaks, meaning that moonlight won’t be able to drown out most of the meteors that will be visible to the naked eye.
The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most prolific of the year, with meteors tending to radiate from the star Castor, located in the Gemini constellation, which is why they are called the Geminids. What makes this meteor shower special is that most originate from the trails of comets that have made their way through the Solar System, but the Geminids originate from the trail of an asteroid known as 3200 Phatehon, which was discovered in the 1980s, according to NASA.
For those looking to catch the incredible sight, residents are urged to find a dark spot and allow their eyes to adjust for at least 30 minutes. The radiant point of the meteor shower will be at its highest point in the sky at approximately 2 a.m., so staying up a bit later than usual will be necessary to see the show at its peak. Even though the radiant point will be overhead, meteors could be visible throughout the sky, according to experts.
The Geminid meteor shower is a must-see event and promises to be an incredible show for skywatchers this December.