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Australian stargazers will be treated to a galactic display as the planets align and shooting stars light up the night sky over the next week.
The space party kicks off with the annual Geminid meteor shower on Monday morning as Earth passes by the tail of an asteroid.
Then it is Jupiter and Saturn’s turn to shine when they “kiss” on Thursday in an event that occurs once in 20 years called the “grand conjunction.”
“This is a special event and the closest since 1226,” said Australian National University astronomer Dr. Brad Tucker.
Aspiring astronomers should gaze at the western skies around 8:30 pm.
“You will see a thin crescent moon and two bright objects right next to it, which will be Jupiter and Saturn that will get closer and will be personal,” Tucker said.
“If you have a small telescope or a pair of binoculars, you should be able to see the rings and the shape of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter.”
The Geminids is an annual meteor shower when Earth passes the tail of asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
When tiny rocks break off the asteroid and burn up in the atmosphere, it becomes an out-of-this-world visual event.
The name Geminid comes from the constellation Gemini, where the meteor shower appears to originate in the sky.
“Some years are better than others, and this year should be good,” Tucker said.
“The moon will be just before a new phase, so we will have incredible dark skies.”
Stargazers must find a dark place free from light pollution and look north to see the shooting stars. No special equipment is required.
“When you go out, let your eyes adjust for five to 10 minutes and then keep a nice, wide view,” Tucker said.
“You can expect to see 15 to 40 meteors or shooting stars per hour.”
The people of northern Australia are likely to see the best show, but meteors should be visible across the country.
The best time to see the meteor shower is from 2am until sunrise.
