The Geminid meteor shower is set to light up night skies around the world this weekend, as amateur stargazers prepare for the annual display of shooting stars.
Meteor showers are caused when the Earth, orbiting around the Sun, encounters a debris trail left behind from a comet or asteroid. Most of the particles which are responsible for shooting stars are roughly the size of an apple seed, and the tiny pebbles creating the Geminid event were generated by the object 3200 Phaethon. This body is believed to be a Palladian asteroid, a class of the rocky bodies with extremely high orbital inclinations. This event is one of the only two annual meteor showers which are not caused by debris from a comet.
The Geminid meteor shower is also one of the most recently discovered of all the annual events. The first reports of a display of shooting stars emanating from the Constellation of Gemini around December 13 and 14 was announced in 1862. By comparison, the Leonid shower was first recorded in B.C.E. 902, and the Perseids in B.C.E. 36.
The annual meteor storm is becoming more dazzling since it was first seen. This year, astronomers believe that between 120 or more shooting stars may be seen every hour during the event.
Meteor showers are one of the easiest of all astronomical shows to witness, and require no special equipment. The display will peak just an hour or two before dawn, from nearly any location in the northern hemisphere. To view the show, amateur astronomers need only go outside, in any area offering dark skies, and a clear sight to the east and south. Observers should remember to bring a comfortable chair, warm blanket, and a thermos of their favorite drink.
Shooting stars from the Geminid meteor shower appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini, the twins.
The Moon will be about half full during the meteor shower, and will nearly match the progression of the meteor shower across the sky. This will reduce the number of shooting stars which will be seen.
The object 3200 Phaethon was only first seen in 1983, using NASA's IRAS satellite. Analysis of the three-mile wide body suggest it may be broken off of the giant asteroid Pallas.
"Of all the debris streams Earth passes through every year, the Geminids' is by far the most massive. When we add up the amount of dust in the Geminid stream, it outweighs other streams by factors of 5 to 500," Bill Cooke, NASA astronomer, said.
