The Geminid meteor shower happens every December, peaking this year on the 13th and 14th of the month as it lights up the skies in what is considered to be one of the best shows in years.
Named after the Gemini constellation, the Geminid meteor shower takes place as the Earth passes through a stream of space debris that was left over by an extinct comet known as 3200 Phaethon. Earth is at the right place at the right time to catch meteors shooting out of the constellation, in turn producing fireballs in the sky.
For this year's show, the early morning hours of Dec. 13 and 14 offered the best views, with the meteor shower ideally seen during the earlier parts of the night so the quarter moon that rose around midnight Saturday did not interfere with the view.
The Geminid meteor shower has been active since Dec. 4 and will remain active until Dec. 17. Peak activity yielded about 120 meteors per hour, with every meteor traveling at about 22 miles per second.
The meteor shower has been around since the mid- 1800s but it wasn't very remarkable with just 20 meteors at the most per hour. It has grown over time, becoming one of the major showers for the year, shooting bright, fast, yellow meteors. On top of that, fireball meteors are also present in the shower, larger explosions of color and light that last longer than the usual meteor streak. With magnitudes higher than 3, fireballs are brighter, thanks to the larger particles of material they come from.
All meteors come from particles left over by comets and sometimes bits of asteroids. When these orbit the sun, a dusty trail is left behind by the objects. It is this dusty trail that the Earth passes through every year. When bits of debris from the trail collide with the Earth's atmosphere, they disintegrate, creating fiery streaks of color in the night sky.
Geminid is best viewed during the night, extending into the pre-dawn hours. The meteor shower can be observed around the world thanks to an almost 24-hour broad maximum. To start viewing, find a spot away from street or city lights. Bring a sleeping bag or lawn chair. Lie on your back, feet facing south. Look up. After 30 minutes, your eyes should adapt to the night sky and soon you will start seeing meteors streaking across the sky. As the show will last through dawn, no need to be impatient. There will be plenty of time for catching a glimpse.
