Geminids Meteor Shower Occurs Tonight: Where & When To Watch Guide

Space is mysterious, with scientists still exploring it and making new discoveries. However, space is also beautiful to admire, and tonight’s Geminids meteor shower will demonstrate that.

GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER HAPPENS TONIGHT

NASA detailed the imminent meteor shower through a blog post. Bill Cooke, a member of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, assures us Geminids will be the “best shower this year,” adding how the spectacle will peak between tonight and tomorrow. Specifically, the brightest part of the show will occur from midnight until 4 a.m. on December 14.

Named after the Gemini constellation, Geminids can be admired worldwide, although those situated in the Northern Hemisphere will enjoy a better view. A telescope is unneeded to appreciate the show, as the Geminids will be visible thanks to the dark sky. Just take care to dress warmly and avoid bright lights when you’re outdoors stargazing.

The Geminids shower is an annual occurrence; every December, the Earth passes by a rough entity named 3200 Phaethon. Cooke mentions how Phaethon’s exact classification is under contention, explaining how it is “either a near-Earth asteroid or an extinct comet, sometimes called a rock comet.”

Regardless, its debris falls off the rock and into Earth’s orbit as the planet moves through it, with the debris burning up while doing so. Notably, this year will be particularly fruitful, as astronomers will be granted a close look at 3200 Phaethon. In fact, this year will be the year where the rocky fixture’s trajectory will come the closet to Earth’s since it was discovered in 1983.