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!
Featured Product
Boeing 747 - EI-BED Horizontal Stabilizer
Latest News
-
Mar 31, 2025 The Mysterious Dodecahedrons From Across Ancient Rome Read More -
Mar 26, 2025 The Crazy Story of How Star Wars Got Made! Read More -
Mar 26, 2025 Skin, Eggs, and Poop: Unique Types of Dinosaur Fossils! Read More -
Mar 24, 2025 Learn How Scientists Made Woolly Mice! Read More -
Mar 21, 2025 Organic Glass Found Among Remains of Roman Guard Read More -
Mar 19, 2025 The Top 5 Most Expensive Star Wars Collectibles Ever Sold Read More
Cool Things!
Learn How Scientists Made Woolly Mice!
Organic Glass Found Among Remains of Roman Guard
One of the most dramatic events in the history of the Roman Empire was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. It is unknown how many perished during the eruption and its fallout, however, haunting images of contorted Pompeiians frozen in time by searing gas and ash paints an image of hellish, alien conditions. In a bizarre twist of the otherworldly occurrence, scientists have found the only documented instance of a victim whose brain was turned to glass by flows from the eruption.
The Mysterious Origin of the St. Mark's Square Lion!
Keeping a watchful eye over what Napoleon knew as “the drawing room of Europe,” the winged lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, is a majestic sight. The origin of this iconic statue has been cloaked in mystery, but in September of 2024, a group of chemists, archaeologists, geologists, and art historians shed more light on this sculpture’s story.
Specimen Deep Dives
Returning to the Moon: The Apollo 14 Mission
The Secrets of the Space Shuttle: Learn about Mini Museum's Shuttle Tile Material!
Gondwana: When the Earth Was One
Long Form Articles
The Mysterious Dodecahedrons From Across Ancient Rome
The ancient Romans left behind architectural marvels, a rich philosophical tradition, and a complete pantheon of gods and heroes, but among their many relics, the Gallo-Roman dodecahedrons remain truly mysterious.
The Crazy Story of How Star Wars Got Made!
On May 14, 1971, George Lucas flew into London for the first time. For a while now, the young director had been workshopping ideas for a space opera, jotting down an increasingly long list of bizarre names for people and places he could build a story around. So when he landed in London, Lucas marched into the office of United Artists head David Picker and convinced the executive to provide the seed money for his next movie.
Skin, Eggs, and Poop: Unique Types of Dinosaur Fossils!
While their bones tend to be the most show-stopping examples, the dinosaurs actually left behind many different traces of their anatomy, many of which have been crucial to scientists’ understanding of their lives. Whether you’re looking to grow your collection or just starting out, here are 5 unique types of dinosaur fossils!