Check out why even with a nearly full moon, you may still be able to see this meteor shower.
As 2024 winds down, so too is the Geminid meteor shower. One of the final meteor showers of the year began on December 2, 2024 and is expected to peak on the nights of December 12 and December 13. Stargazers could have the opportunity to see hundreds of meteors streak across the sky. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for this spectacular meteor shower., the Geminid meteor shower will be active from December 2, 2024 until December 21, 2024.
Getting away from city lights is another great way to view the meteor shower. The AMS recommends putting your phone away about 20 minutes before the shower starts to help your eyes fully adjust to the darkness.If you’re worried you’ll miss the meteor shower altogether, the Ursids and the Quadrantids are right around the corner, peaking in late December 2024 and early January 2025.If you’re viewing the meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere, you’ll want to bundle up.
The constellation is the focal point or radiant for the meteor shower. This means the meteors look like they fall from that specific constellation. Because the Gemini constellation usually appears earlier in the evening, it’s possible to see meteors before midnight.According to the Planetary Society, cosmic rock, dust, and other debris burning up in Earth’s atmosphere cause meteors. This debris can break off from asteroids and comets.
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes by a debris field left behind by those asteroids and comets. They typically happen at the same time each year as Earth’s orbit has lined back up with the debris field. The asteroid 3200 Phaethon explicitly causes the Geminid meteor shower.use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards.
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