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Annual Geminids meteor shower set for this weekend
Posted On Dec 11 2015
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One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year will peak this weekend.
Star gazers will be looking for clear, cloudless skies to have the best possible chance of catching a glimpse of the meteor shower.
“As a general rule, the higher the constellation Gemini climbs into your sky, the more Geminid meteors you’re likely to see”, writes McClure. Their fiery demise creates momentary streaks of light we affectionately call shooting stars. This generates long arcs you can see for 1-2 seconds.
The event is also known to exhibit some exceptional colors as they streak across the star-sprinkled sky.
Most-read articles What are the Geminids? This stream is massive: NASA estimates the dust funneling into it outweighs other streams by factors of five to 500. The annual Geminid meteor shower is caused by debris from an object called 3200 Phaethon.
Geminid meteors are bright and fast (79,000 mph), and the shower is famous for producing fireballs, which are meteors brighter than magnitude -4, the same magnitude as the planet Venus.
The shower gets its name from the Gemini constellation they appear to radiate out from.
“[The Geminid] meteors come from a bunch of stuff that fell off of an asteroid”, Clark said.
The Slooh webcast will include more than views of the meteor shower.
Though the shower “gets going around 9 or 10 p.m. local time”, the “best viewing will be in the hours just before dawn local time”, according to NASA.
But for those who courageous the cold, there are plenty of wishes to be made with the Geminids. NASA experts – including Bill Cooke, Danielle Moser and Rhiannon Blaauw – will be on hand to provide commentary on the meteor shower and answer questions.
Simply find a dark, open sky away from artificial lights. The meteors should be visible across the whole sky, but you’ll need to give your eyes time to adjust before you see any. Lie down comfortably on a blanket or lawn chair, and look straight up. We can’t think of a better way to enjoy the Geminids.
