When and where to watch:

Thursday night, December 14th, the Geminid Meteor shower will be seen from Earth. The good news about this year’s show is constellation Gemini rises at 7 p.m. with meteors seen as early as 9 p.m. And because the Geminids have a broad maximum, the meteors will be bright and intensely colored. We have two nights to watch from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. With the best time to watch midnight to 2 a.m.

The Geminids get their name because the meteors all seem to streak across the sky from the constellation Gemini. This is called the radiant. By 10 p.m. central time the radiant climbs to around 40° altitude in the eastern sky. Radiant height is one of the key factors in determining how many meteors you can see. You don’t have to face Gemini, simply look toward the darkest part of the sky.

Why this year will be a great show:

The 14th will feature a moonless sky. New moon is Dec. 12, which means the moon won’t wash out the faintest meteors. The number of meteors visible depends on the darkness of your location, and when you’re looking. But if you are away from city lights you can see dozens of meteors per hour.

What’s unique about the Geminids:

The Geminids are the only meteor shower that doesn’t come from dust by a comet. The meteors are from the asteroid ‘3200 Phaethon.’ This asteroid ejects fragments of rock not dust. Since rock penetrates the atmosphere more than dust, the Geminids produce longer streaks. The asteroid Phaethon is 3 miles across and loops around the Sun every 1.4 years in an orbit closer than any other named asteroid. Every time it nears the Sun, its surface is heated to roughly 1,300°F. This causes bits of rock to escape the asteroid. This “river of rubble” passes through Earth in mid-December every year. When we encounter these particles, they are traveling 22 miles per second (79,000 mph). Every time one of them slams into our planet’s upper atmosphere, 60 miles high, air friction vaporizes it in a quick, white-hot streak.

It is inaccurate to call them shooting stars because they are pieces of rubble similar in shape, size, color and texture to Grape Nuts cereal. Like water ahead of a speedboat, it creates a white-hot shock wave along its path. The flash of light our eyes see is that brief but brilliant shock wave — not the particle itself burning up. The particles never make it to Earth.

The forecast:

Dress warm and have a blanket. It’s going to be a chilly night. The forecast is for partly cloudy skies and a few models have clear skies tonight. That would be great! I’m hoping for the best.

How to watch:

You don’t need special equipment. Simply go outside with an open view and look toward the darkest part of the sky. You can lay down on a blanket or a lawn chair is comfortable too. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness.

Remember any kind of outside light will hinder seeing the Geminids. Do you see our problem from the image below? Even with clear skies if you are inside the beltway it’s tough to see even the brightest of meteors.

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