Find 2 or 3 Meteors Per Minute During the Peak of the Geminids Meteor Shower Tonight
Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies tonight as the Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak in 2020 . Known as the best and most visible meteor shower of the year, the Geminids began on December 4 and ended on December 17, but will climax tonight, December 13. Here’s how to see one of the most exciting astronomical events of the year.
How to watch the Geminids meteor shower
Today’s meteor activity will begin at around 9:00 pm and continue to increase until 2:00 am your local time. Most meteor showers have around 100 meteors per hour, but tonight we can see up to 150 meteors per hour – an average of about two or three meteors per minute – in very dark areas, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS) .
So why is the Geminids expected to be so good this year? According to NASA : “The Geminids produce large numbers of meteors in most years, but this year they got even better as the peak of rain coincides with a near new moon, which makes the sky darker and the moonlight does not interfere with the weaker one. meteors “.
And there’s a bonus: The Geminids are known for their bright and brightly colored shooting stars .
The good news is that you don’t need binoculars or a telescope to see this meteor shower. Here are some more tips from Space.com :
Find a comfortable place to lie on the ground, away from light sources and ideally in an area of dark sky. Bring a blanket and dress warmly if you are in cold weather. Give your eyes about 20-30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, then relax and enjoy the show.
If you miss them tonight or want to see an encore, they should also be visible tomorrow night, also between 21:00 and 2:00 local time.