This year’s best meteor shower, the Geminids, will peak this week. Skywatchers may see one or even two streaks in the dark sky every minute.
On Thursday, the meteors will reach their frenzy. But Wednesday night should also provide a cosmic spectacle.
The moon is waning, allowing excellent visibility anywhere in the world where the sky is clear and unpolluted by light.
NASA urged observers to look everywhere in the sky because the meteorite did not come from any particular direction. During peak times, expect between 60 and 120 meteors every hour, weather permitting.
NASA meteoroid expert Bill Cooke said he liked the greenish color of the Geminids as they streaked across the sky and burned up. Most meteors appear colorless or white, depending on their chemical composition. The green color usually comes from oxygen, magnesium, and nickel.
Most meteor showers come from comets. But the Geminids originate from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon which orbits the Sun. Whatever happens, when the Earth passes by the remains of a comet or asteroid, the fragments will collide with the Earth’s atmosphere and create quite a show.
2023-12-17 10:05:44
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