The Geminid Meteor Shower is making its annual December return amid hopes it could light up the night sky for the next few weeks until December 24. However, the shower is expected to reach its peak action on the night of December 13, lasting until the early morning hours of December 14.
The shower’s peak could bring as many as 10-15 shooting stars per hour, a relatively low number for the incredibly active shower that has seen over 150 meteors per hour in some of its top years in the past. Stargazers could also get unlucky as other astronomical bodies may interfere with the shower’s visibility.
One potential issue could be the moon, as it’s anticipated to be nearly full during the meteor shower, which could impact the views and block out all but the brightest shooting stars. But there is still some hope as the Geminids are especially known for being particularly bright.
The Royal Museum Greenwich noted that the Geminid shower is usually one of the more reliable events in our night sky, all but guaranteeing “a good show”. Brits could make the most out of their stargazing if they can find a way to block out moonlight when they look up at the night sky.
The museum highlighted: “For the best conditions, you want to find a safe location away from street lights and other sources of light pollution. The meteors can be seen in all parts of the sky, so it’s ideal to go to a wide open space where you can scan the night sky with your eyes. But if you trace the paths that the meteors take, they seem to originate from the Gemini constellation.”
Geminid meteors are believed to be intensifying every year, despite being discovered much more recently than other showers. Alongside quadrantids, a meteor shower commonly seen in January, Geminids are the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet.
Instead, Geminids are believed to be bits and pieces of the celestial body 3200 Phaethon. Phaethon has intrigued scientists because although it is built like an asteroid, it actually behaves like a comet – leading some to claim its an entirely new class of celestial objects: a rock comet.