See Meteors in the night sky tonight!

Above: Composite image of the Geminid shower at its peak in 2014. NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser, NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office

Post Author - Ellis Nolan

One of the most anticipated events of the year for stargazers, the Geminid meteor shower is an awe-inspiring site. At its peak, about 2:00 AM, over 100 yellow-tinged Geminid meteors, Geminids, streak across the sky per hour (under ideal conditions). However, meteors are usually visible as early as 9:00 PM, and continue until dawn. Here are some of our favorite facts about the Geminids!

Part of what make the Geminids so popular is their predictability. Since they usually peak in early December, viewers can plan on being in an ideal viewing environment to see the shower. Even so, they didn’t always have the intensity they do today. First observed in 1862, there were only about 10 to 20 meteors per hour, far cry from today’s approximately 120. The Geminids have been said to multiply in meteors per hour each year, so perhaps even more will be seen in the future!

While they are quite regular in their occurrence, the Geminids differ from all but one other meteor shower in their origin. Most meteor showers are, as one researcher put it, “comet poop”: debris from the “tail” of a comet that burns up in great streaks of light as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. In contrast, Geminid meteors are debris from an asteroid, specifically the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. First discovered in 1983, it is quite the asteroid over-achiever. Not only is it the first asteroid discovered via images taken by a spacecraft (specifically the Infrared Astronomical Satellite), its orbit brings it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid.

Meteor showers are generally named after their “radiant” or where the meteors appear to originate from. The Geminids are no different, with their radiant being the constellation of Gemini, best seen in Winter months in the Northern hemisphere. To find Gemini, look for Orion’s belt, then look to Rigel, the right foot of the Orion constellation. After locating Rigel, follow the line from Rigel to Betelgeuse, Orion’s left shoulder, and you will find Castor and Pollux, the two brightest stars of the Gemini formation!

While the Gemini formation is a great place to start looking for the Geminid meteors, it is by no means the only place you’ll see them. During its peak, you can see Geminids in all parts of the night sky where there’s no light pollution or obstructions. A great strategy is to go with a group; Each person can keep track of a particular quadrant of the night sky and call out to the others if they see a meteor! Make sure to bundle up and happy Geminid hunting!