The Best Meteor Shower of the Year Will Light up the Sky This Weekend
The 2020 Geminid meteor shower lasts from Dec. 4 to 17, peaking in the early morning hours of Dec. 14.
NASA calls the Geminids the “best meteor shower of the year.”
The shower overlaps with a nearly new moon, meaning this year’s show will have optimal viewing conditions.
Stargazers, you’re in luck: December is a busy month for the heavens, with “kissing” planets and a total solar eclipse (sadly invisible in the U.S.) on the way. But the most exciting show of all is the annual Geminid meteor shower, which promises a spectacular, better-than-usual viewing experience this weekend.
This year’s Geminid meteor shower lasts from Dec. 4 to 17, and it’ll peak in the morning hours of Monday, Dec. 14, according to the American Meteor Society. Meteors should be visible from 8 p.m. to just after 5 a.m. each night, with best viewing from 1:14 to 2:14 a.m., per the Griffith Observatory.
The Geminids take their name from the constellation Gemini, where they seem to originate in the sky. On any given year, the event is known as the “best meteor shower of the year,” as NASA calls it. But in 2020, the shower’s peak coincides with a nearly new moon, meaning viewing conditions will be optimal. Because there will be little additional light from the moon, up to 150 meteors could be visible per hour, the Griffith Observatory notes.
These meteors tend to be bright and easy to spot, and it’s “the one major shower that provides good activity prior to midnight,” AMS explains. That’s good news for stargazers with little experience, or ones who don’t want to be up late—this is one of the most viewer-friendly showers of the year.
The Geminid meteor shower originates from the rock comet 3200 Phaethon. When the Earth passes through its debris each year, those rocks enter the atmosphere and burn up on their way down, leaving bright streaks behind them.
To make the most of this year’s optimal viewing conditions, find a spot with an unobstructed view of the sky and as little artificial light as possible. Lay flat and gaze straight up, since the meteors will be visible throughout the sky. (Make sure you’re bundled up, too.) After that, it’s a waiting game—but since this is the best shower of the year, you shouldn’t have to linger for too long before you spot your first shooting star.
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