The “king” of meteor showers will dazzle stargazers this week with the arrival of the Geminid meteor shower on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 13 into the morning of Friday, Dec. 14. It will peak after midnight Friday.
Brilliant streaks of light will illuminate the sky as small fragments of space rocks slam into the atmosphere at speeds greater than 45,000 mph. At their peak, the Geminids could produce more than 100 visible meteors per hour.
Unlike most meteor showers, which are the result of cometary debris fields, this celestial spectacle is the result of the Earth plowing through a debris field leftover from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This is an Apollo asteroid that orbits closer to the sun than any other named asteroid.
To observe the Geminids, bundle up and find a comfortable spot with a clear view of the sky, and marvel at the magnificent show. Meteor showers are best observed with the unaided eye and don’t require any special viewing equipment.
Meteors will appear to radiate out of the zodiac constellation of Gemini but can appear anywhere in the sky. The moon will set shortly after midnight, leaving the peak of the shower in ideal viewing conditions.
First Published: December 11, 2018, 11:00 a.m.