One of the year’s most spectacular meteor showers peaks this weekend, offering sky gazers a chance to see up to 120 shooting stars per hour.
The Geminids, visible through mid-December, provide one of the most reliable celestial shows annually, with peak viewing this year on Saturday night into Sunday’s predawn hours.
Unlike most meteor showers originating from comets, the Geminids originate from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon as it orbits the Sun. The yellow-colored meteors appear when fast-moving space rocks hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating fiery tails.
For optimal viewing, escape city lights and find dark skies away from urban areas.
“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, Associated Press reported.
The meteors appear across the entire sky, though looking toward the Gemini constellation provides a reference point. Bundle up, lie back in a lawn chair or sleeping bag, and allow 15 to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Avoid checking phones, as bright screens disrupt night vision and make meteors harder to spot.
The Geminids offer prime viewing conditions this year before the moon rises after midnight, when its brightness can overshadow the meteors’ glow. Northern Hemisphere viewers enjoy the best show, though the meteors remain visible globally, reported AP.
Weather permitting, patient observers can enjoy hours of celestial fireworks as Earth passes through the crowded stream of cosmic debris.