This weekend will be extra-special for stargazers as the Geminid Meteor Shower will make the sky a beautiful sparkling spectacle. The meteor shower will peak on Dec. 13 and 14, and stargazers can expect 100 shooting stars per hour in the sky.
IBT reports that The Geminids is one of the most intense meteor showers of the year, which makes it a definite must-see for stargazers and non-stargazers alike. The good news is that it can be seen anywhere in the world, but people in the Northern Hemisphere will have a better view of the radiant sky.
For those wondering where the Geminid meteors are from, it comes from the Gemini constellation. But for its brightest point, it coincides with the bright star called Castor. However, there is really no need to spot the Gemini constellation in the sky just to get a glimpse of the Geminds meteor shower. It will be easily seen in the nightsky on the weekend.
The Geminid meteor shower will create long arcs in the sky that should last one to two seconds. It will have different colors including white, yellow, blue, green and red. People should also watch out for "earthgazers," those long streaks of light that stretch from the horizon to overhead.
During meteor showers like this, there is always that concern about meteorites hitting Earth. Bill Cooke of the NASA Meteoroid Environment agency told Space.com that this won't happen.
"That's an illusion. It's very rare, exceedingly rare, for a meteorite to land near an individual, and the Geminids won't produce meteorites. They will not make it to the ground. People don't have to worry about getting hit by falling Geminids," said Cooke.
The Geminid meteor shower has already begun, it started on Dec. 4 and it will last until Dec. 17. The peak will happen on Dec. 13 and 14 at 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
