Sky gazers have another chance on Monday night to enjoy what NASA calls the ‘best meteor shower of the year’.
The Geminid meteor shower takes place every year between December 4 and December 17, peaking between December 13 and December 14.
When the Earth passes through the trails of dust left by asteroid 3200 Phaethon, that dust burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, creating a shower of ‘shooting stars’.
Last night, patches of sky that were clear of cloud provided an excellent backdrop for the Geminids, named after the point at which they appear to originate, in the constellation Gemini.
Tonight, star gazers around the world have another chance to catch the spectacular display, with meteors shooting through the sky at speeds of up to 78,000 miles an hour – 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.
A shooting star can be seen during the Geminid meteor stream in the starry sky above the Kochelsee and the summit of the Herzogstand early Monday, December 14, 2020
The meteors shine bright yellow, blue, green and red as they pass through the sky at a rate of around 60 to 70 per hour, or one a minute.
Those that shine the brightest will leave a glowing trail along their path.
‘Realistically, the predicated rate for observers in the Northern Hemisphere is closer to 60 meteors per hour,’ NASA says.
‘This means you can expect to see an average of one Geminid per minute in dark skies at the shower peak.’
Viewing is good all night for the Northern Hemisphere, with activity peaking around 2am local time, and after midnight for viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.
The rate of meteors increases as 2am approaches, and Geminid watchers who observe from midnight to 4am should catch the most meteors, NASA says.
The shower is expected to continue until December 17, but the frequency of shooting stars will gradually decrease after tonight.
The meteors, small pieces of interplanetary debris, appear to radiate from near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini.
Geminids are named after the point at which they appear to originate, in the constellation Gemini
Infographic based on 2019’s meteor camera data for the Geminids. Geminids are widely recognised as the best annual meteor shower a stargazer can see, the space agency says
Geminid meteor shower over Broadway Tower, Worcestershire, England. Picture taken December 12, 2020
The 65-foot-tall folly on Broadway Hill, near the large village of Broadway, in a longer shot
Pictured, Geminid over the Isle of Wight, taken on the South Coast of the island on the Cliffs above Grange Chine overlooking Grange Farm Campsite. The lights on the beach are from a group of fishermen. This is a composite image showing six Geminid meteors over the space of five hours during clear skies from Saturday evening into Sunday morning (13/12/20)
Friction with the upper atmosphere heats up the incoming debris, causing the air around them to glow brightly.
This leads to streaks of light that are also known as shooting stars.
All meteors associated with a shower have similar orbits, and they all appear to come from the same place in the sky, which is called the radiant.
The Geminid meteor shower was first reported in 1862, but it was not until 1983 that scientists determine 3200 Phaethon, was the source.
Phaethon, which is considered to be either an asteroid or an extinct comet, is only about three miles across, travels around the sun every 1.4 years and sheds its dust every time it nears Earth’s parent star.
The dusty debris ranges in size from a sand grain to a pea.
NASA says the Geminid rate is even better this year, as the shower’s peak overlaps with a nearly new moon, so there will be darker skies and no moonlight.
Because meteors can be quite faint, it is best to look out for them in a dark sky, free of moonlight and artificial lights with a wide an unobstructed view of the sky.
‘If it’s not cloudy, get away from bright lights, lie on your back, and look up. Remember to let your eyes get adjusted to the dark – you’ll see more meteors that way,’ NASA says.
‘Keep in mind, this adjustment can take approximately 30 minutes. Don’t look at your cell phone screen, as it will ruin your night vision!’
NASA is continuing its online live stream of the shower’s peak from 2am GMT on Monday morning, using a meteor camera at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
A shooting star of the Geminid meteor shower is pictured at Yuli County on December 14, 2020 in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China
Geminid again pictured at Yuli County on December 14, 2020. The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a “rock comet” orbit. This would make the Geminids, together with the Quadrantids, the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet
Geminid meteor shower is pictured at Yuli County on December 14, 2020 in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China
A long exposure photo shows stars at the night sky over Bago mountain range during a Geminid meteor shower phenomenon at outskirt of Yangon, Myanmar, early December 14, 2020
A photograph also dated December 14 shows the ‘best meteor shower of the year’, as NASA puts it, over Northumberland
Geminid streaking across the night sky over a Buddha Statue at outskirt of Yangon, Myanmar, early December 14 2020
Pictured is the Geminid meteor shower over the Isle of Wight, taken on the South Coast of the island on the Cliffs above Grange Chine overlooking Grange Farm Campsite. The lights on the beach are from a group of fishermen who were night fishing. This is a single exposure, one of many taken over the space of five hours during clear skies from Saturday evening into Sunday morning (13/12/20)