Geminid meteor shower observed at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in China
Jeff Dye/StockTrek Images/Alamy
This year, the peak of the Geminid meteor shower on the morning of December 14th is expected to emit a dazzling light. Showers are expected to start on November 19th and end on December 24th, but caution is advised over the next few days due to increased activity.
What is a meteor shower?
Meteors are bright flashes of light that move quickly across the sky. They are caused by dust and debris from space entering the atmosphere, slowing it down and burning up. This happens occasionally, but can happen at any time. On stargazing nights, you might see several meteors every hour. Meteor showers are periods of marked increase in the number of meteors, caused by the Earth moving in the wake of debris left behind by comets and asteroids. Because of this, the same debris tracks occur over and over again, so they tend to occur around the same time each year.
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
The Geminid meteor shower, unlike most meteor showers, is not caused by a comet; 3200 Asteroid called Phaethon. But this is a rare asteroid with a comet-like vapor tail, which puzzled astronomers for some time. In 2021, NASA suggested that the phenomenon could be caused by “foaming” of sodium on the surface.
How can I observe the Geminid meteor shower?
You don’t need any special equipment to observe the Geminid meteor shower. It is enough if the sky is clear. The weather will be especially nice this year. During the new moon on December 12th, there will be very little moonlight, making it easier to see showers against the night sky. The Geminid meteor shower is known to produce up to 150 meteors per hour in dark skies. It’s unlikely you’ll see that many, especially if you’re in an area with light pollution, but it’s worth observing no matter where you are. It’s beautiful if you just look at it.
How do I find a Gemini?
Like all meteor showers, the Geminid meteor shower is named after the constellation that appears to come from the sky. In this case it’s Gemini. You don’t need to find Gemini to see the meteors, as they move across the sky. But if you choose, Gemini is easy to identify thanks to her two bright stars, Castor and Pollux.
First, find the constellation Orion and look for its two brightest stars, Rigel and Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is a reddish star located in the upper left of the constellation Orion when viewed from the northern hemisphere, and at the lower right when viewed from the southern hemisphere. Pale Rigel is located to the lower right of Orion in the Northern Hemisphere, but to the upper left in the Southern Hemisphere.
To find Gemini, draw a line from Rigel to Betelgeuse, keep the line about the same distance again, and find two bright stars that are close to each other. These are Castor and Pollux. It seems that the Geminid meteor shower will appear from here.
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