Get Ready for a Lot of Shooting Stars This Weekend
A meteor streaks over a church during the annual Geminid meteor shower near the village of Zagorie, Belarus, on Dec. 13, 2017. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, file)
One of the most impressive meteor showers of the year is set to light up the night sky this weekend. The annual Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday and will remain visible through mid-December, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Geminids are known for their bright, often yellow-colored streaks and can be seen around the world. However, viewers in the Northern Hemisphere typically get the best show, the Associated Press reports. Under clear, dark conditions, sky-watchers could see as many as 120 meteors per hour during the peak, according to NASA.
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through dense streams of space debris. As these fast-moving particles enter the planet’s atmosphere, they burn up, creating the glowing trails commonly referred to as “shooting stars.” While a few stray meteors can be spotted on any given night, major meteor showers happen at the same time each year when Earth crosses particularly crowded debris fields.
The visibility of any meteor shower depends on several factors, including sky darkness and moonlight. The Geminids offer a favorable viewing window this year, with better visibility expected before the moon becomes too bright after midnight.
To get the best view, experts recommend bundling up and heading away from city lights, which can overpower the meteors’ glow. The shower will appear across the entire sky, though locating the Gemini constellation can help orient viewers. Lying back in a lawn chair or sleeping bag and allowing 15 to 20 minutes for eyes to adjust to the darkness will improve the experience. Bright cellphone screens should be avoided, as they can interfere with night vision.
“The other stars are going to be all stationary, so you’ll see this moving across the sky and it’ll leave a little tail behind it,” said Bethany Cobb Kung, an astronomer with George Washington University.
While most meteor showers originate from comet debris, the Geminids are unusual. They come from an asteroid—3200 Phaethon—which orbits the sun and sheds material that creates the annual display. Viewers are encouraged to stay outside as long as weather conditions allow and enjoy one of nature’s most reliable celestial events.
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