There are a handful of meteor showers every year, but the Geminid Meteor Shower is arguably the most spectacular of all. Stargazers who were quite disappointed with the supermoon's interference last year will be happy to know that this year's moon will be far less bright, aiding the Geminids truly shine.
"With August's Perseids obscured by bright moonlight, the Geminids will be the best shower this year," said Bill Cooke who leads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office in a news release. "The thin, waning crescent moon won't spoil the show."
Emanating from the bright constellation of Gemini, the Geminids can be seen around the world regardless of one's location. Meteors will shoot across the night sky during the peak hours of late Wednesday night to early Thursday morning (Dec. 13 to Dec. 14).
For optimal viewing, places with higher elevations are highly recommended as they are far from light pollution generated from cities or towns that can reduce the visibility of the meteors.
The shower will be at its most intense from midnight to 4 in the morning when the sky is at its darkest. For those who will be watching under a clear dark sky, there should be 120 meteors seen per hour with some appearing as fireballs. However, for those near city lights, the number can be reduced to less than 10 meteors per hour.
If it is too cloudy or too chilly to warrant staying outside for long, stargazers can opt to stay inside and watch the event online. Virtual Telescope Project will be streaming it live on its website starting Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. EST through its remotely controlled telescope until the meteor shower is over. NASA will also have its own live stream at sunset from its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
After the Geminid meteor shower, the next big sky event will be Supermoons. There will be two instances of a larger-than-usual full moon. The first will occur on new year, Jan. 1, and the second one on Jan. 31.
