Gina Park, CNN
Skygazers spend the entire year waiting for the peak of the annual Geminid meteor shower. And finally it came.
Dozens of meteors, including some particularly bright ones called bolides, are expected to streak across the night sky in dazzling fashion this weekend. The celestial event is considered one of the best meteor showers of the year.
The Geminids are expected to be at their peak from 10:00 p.m. Time in Miami from Saturday through early Sunday, according to EarthSky.
During this event, the moon will be at 34% of its full phase, so with clear skies, many observers in the suburbs will be able to see up to 20 meteors per hour. People in areas with partly dark skies could see 40 to 50 meteors during the peak period, while some rural residents could see up to one meteor per minute, according to Robert Lunsford, meteorite reporting coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
For the best view, those in the Northern Hemisphere should look east around 10:00 p.m. local time, while those in the southern hemisphere should look to the northern sky around 2 a.m.
Meteors are visible around 10:00 p.m. Lunsford said they’re called earthy and tend to last longer than regular ones. “The reason is that they don’t penetrate as deeply into the atmosphere as the ones we see later at night, so they tend to last longer, a second or two, and usually much longer.”
The Geminids are known for producing bolides that appear brighter than any star or planet in the sky. Fireballs are easy to spot because they are often colorful and live longer than other meteors, Lunsford added.
The Geminids also present a great opportunity for photographers.
“They are slower than the Perseids and Leonids, so they look better at long exposures. So for those who have cameras that can hold the shutter open, I would set it to 15-30 seconds and just keep shooting all night,” Lunsford said.
If you can’t watch Geminids on Saturday night, don’t worry. They will be visible a few days before the peak of activity, as well as a few days after.
However, it’s better to leave a day or two sooner rather than later, “because the Geminid maximum isn’t exactly symmetrical,” Lunsford explained. “It has a slow growth rate, and once it reaches a maximum, the activity drops off quickly. So it’s best to watch until the maximum.”
The moon will be brighter the night before maximum since the full moon occurred on December 4, but as long as you’re outside before sunrise and keep your back to it, you’ll still be able to see some meteors.
The Geminids are formed by the remnants of the asteroid 3200 Phaeton. The asteroid’s close orbit around the Sun causes it to eject particles due to its intense heat, leaving a trail of meteors throughout its orbit. Earth passes through this debris trail every year, resulting in an impressive meteor shower. Some of the denser debris forms the Geminid Bolides.
The meteors appear to be coming from the direction of the constellation Gemini, which “rises in the east just after sunset and is at its highest point in the sky around 2 a.m.,” Lunsford said, “and sets in the west as the sun rises, so they will be visible most of the night.”
According to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky, the next and last meteor shower of the year is the Ursids, which are expected to peak on the night of December 21st and early morning of December 22nd.
The moon will be barely visible in its waxing phase, which guarantees a dark sky.
The meteor shower peaks at the winter solstice, or the official start of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, when Earth is furthest from the Sun. The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year, creating a great opportunity for sky watchers.
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