Two years ago my now-husband and I went on my dream date: watching a meteor shower in a park by the ocean.
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Geminid meteors can be seen for several nights before and after the peak, so take advantage of any clear night this week and next. The waxing crescent moon will not interfere with this year’s display.
Already under way in the eastern night sky, the Geminid meteor shower tends to intensify as the night progresses, usually offering its best show around 2 a.m. The shower reaches its peak on 13 and 14 December, when there will be no Moon – allowing even the faintest shooting stars to stand out against the night sky.
Sussex stargazers are in for a treat for the next week, as the Geminid meteor shower returns to the UK’s skies.
If clear skies prevail, best bets are to head out of the city if possible, far from the bright light pollution – which can significantly hamper views and filter out all but the brightest meteors.
The Geminid meteors are parts of the debris stream left by the rock comet 3200 Phaethon as it makes its closest pass to the sun every 1.43 years. He stressed that can be a big “if” at this time of year.
Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on. Some will praise the January Quadrantids, but most will favour the August Perseids – mainly because the latter peak during the mild August nights of Northern Hemisphere summer when one is more inclined to stay outside and watch for long periods.
“It’s a little bit hard to get a lot of excitement for the Geminids, because it’s December and it’s usually cold”, Hall said.
Experts call this meteor shower as an early holiday gift for skywatchers. Geminids meteors are caused by particles liberated from Phaethon and spread along its orbit encountering our planet’s atmosphere at speeds of around 22 miles (35 kilometres) per second and burning up in an instant due to friction with the air. Through binoculars, it should appear as a fuzzy blob. It should move from day to day, and she suggested checking out astronomy apps on a smartphone or tablet device for specifics on where the comet is located.
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And keep in mind to dress warmly!
