The Skygazers’ delight! The annual Geminid meteor shower set up for this weekend will see over 100 multicolored shooting stars per hour skip the sky at 78,000 mph
- The annual Geminid meteor shower is set to peak from December 13th to December 14th
- Viewers can see more than 100 multi-colored shooting stars per hour
- They will glow yellow, green, blue, and red as they step into the sky
- The Northern Hemisphere will be best viewed starting at 8 PM ET
- The Southern Hemisphere will have the same views after midnight local time
More than 100 multicolored stars are scheduled to spread across the night sky this weekend during the peak of the Geminid meteor showers.
The cosmic parade will take place between December 4 and December 17, with the best nights to watch on the evening of December 13th until the next morning.
NASA says the Northern Hemisphere will be able to see the spectacular event throughout the night of Day 13, with peak activity around 8 PM ET, and after midnight for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.
The stars shine in yellow, blue, green and red as they travel at 78,000 miles per hour and those that shine brightest will leave a glowing trail along their path.
More than 100 multicolored stars are scheduled to spread across the night sky this weekend during the peak of the Geminid meteor showers. Pictured is the Geminid meteor showers seen from Lake Pawna near Lonavala on December 14, 2017 in Mumbai, India.
Diana Hanikainen, Editorial Superintendent at Sky and Telescope“It’s worth facing the cold during this peak shower,” in a statement.
The Geminids present their best ‘Shooting Stars’ show of the year.
“If you have a clear, dark sky without light pollution, you might see a meteor streak across the sky every minute or two from 10 PM until dawn on peak night.”
Gemini is a trail of dust behind comet 3200 Phaethon several thousand years ago and appears to be radiating from a point in the constellation Gemini.
The cosmic parade will take place between December 4 and December 17, with the best nights to watch on the evening of December 13th until the next morning. Pictured is an event over Arizona in 2017
Showers were first reported in 1862, but it wasn’t until 1983 that scientists determined that Phaethon was the source.
The parent comet is only about three miles in diameter and travels around the sun every 1.4 years and throws its dust every time it approaches the parent star of Earth, and the dust is the size of a pea.
If it is not cloudy, stay away from bright lights, lie on your back, and look up. Remember to let your eyes adjust to the dark – you’ll see more meteors this way, ‘NASA Shard said in a statement.
The stars shine in yellow, blue, green and red as they travel at 78,000 miles per hour and those that shine brightest will leave a glowing trail along their path. Pictured is a photo of a shower taken in 2018 over Rusky Island off Vladivostok
Keep in mind that this mod may take about 30 minutes. Do not look at your cell phone screen, because it will spoil your night vision!
Meteorites are also some of the fastest meteors – they speed through the night sky 1,000 times faster than a cheetah, 250 times faster than the world’s fastest car and over 40 times faster than a rapid bullet.
“Gemini produces a lot of meteors most years, but they get better this year, as the shower peaks roughly coincide with a new moon,” NASA said.
“So I wish you a clear sky to catch some falling stars.”
