How You Can See Colorful ‘Shooting Stars’ This Weekend As The Most Powerful Meteor Shower Peaks Of The Year

What Makes the 2020 Geminid Meteor Shower So Special? On the afternoon of Sunday, December 13, 2020 and until the early morning of Monday, December 14, 2020, our satellite will be only a few hours away from being an invisible New Moon and, therefore, it will be completely absent from the night sky.

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This is also the precise moment when the constellation Gemini, the visual origin of the “shooting stars,” will be high in the sky, and when it is properly dark on the night side of the Earth.

Point out an extra special Geminid meteor shower!

It was already destined to be worth seeing because this Northern Hemisphere-centered shooting star display is not only the brightest, most reliable, and most abundant of the year, but also the most colorful.

We’re talking up to 150 multi-colored “shooting stars” every hour between sunset and sunrise on December 13-14.

You don’t want to miss this.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Geminid meteor shower.

What to expect from the Geminid meteor shower

Get ready for the strongest and most impressive meteor shower of 2020.

Geminids often play a minor role in the Perseid meteor shower in August, but they shouldn’t as the December display improves every year.

In addition to being well known for being active long before midnight, Geminids themselves tend to be often bright and intensely colored (mostly yellow, but sometimes red or blue), although they move slowly. They travel at a relatively quiet speed of 35 km per second, according to the American Meteor Society.

However, “shooting stars” tend to dwindle and come in clusters, so spend at least an hour outdoors, and preferably two hours, to maximize your chances of getting that “wow!” moment.

The best way to see the Geminids

Mid-December in the Northern Hemisphere can present some challenges for the “shooting star” observer. Here’s how to make the most of this year’s spectacular shower while staying alive to tell the story:

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Keeping warm

Remember that you will be lying still for most of the night, so bring an extra layer or two and possibly a blanket, as well as a hat, gloves, and even a balaclava.

Go dark

Go to a really dark place away from light pollution if you want a chance to see 150 per hour, maybe a Dark Sky Park.

Sit comfortably

Take a lawn chair or similar to sit on and have a hot drink bottle nearby. Snacks that can be easily eaten while looking up at the night sky would also be helpful; they will help you stay warm.

Be patient

Night vision takes about 30 minutes to nurture, so don’t judge whether or not this meteor shower is worth it before then.

Where to look

Although the Geminids originate from the constellation Gemini, they can appear anywhere in the sky, so it doesn’t really matter where you look. However, keep in mind that if you generally look east shortly after dark, you may see “shooting stars” running overhead. If you turn to face west, you will likely see them moving away from you.

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Arrive at midnight

Another way to maximize your chances is to stay out until midnight, and preferably until 1 a.m. That way, you will have the constellation Gemini directly above you and in the darkest part of the sky.

Plan B

If the weather doesn’t play ball on the night of the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, make a plan to go out the next night. Although you may not see as many “shooting stars”, this is a display that tends to stay quite bright and abundant for one more night after the peak.

Exactly when do they reach the peak of the Geminids?

The Geminid meteor shower runs from December 4 to December 17 of each year, reaching its peak on the night of December 13 and 14, 2020.

The exact peak of activity is 01:00 Universal Time on December 14, which is perfect for anyone in Europe and translates to the wee hours of the night in North America. However, those details don’t make much of a difference this year as the peak tends to extend over several hours.

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What Causes Geminids?

Meteor showers are called by the debris left in the solar system by comments, right? That’s true for almost all shooting stars, but not for the Geminids, which are the result of a large astroid called 3200 Phaethon. Discovered in 1983 and named for the son of Helios (the Greek god of the Sun), 3200 Phaethon is a near-Earth asteroid that orbits the Sun every 1.4 years.

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) plans to send a probe called DESTINY + to 3200 Phaethon, which will be launched in 2022.

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So one day we will know a lot about the origin of the spectacular Geminid meteor shower. For now, just enjoy the magical, multi-colored view of up to 150 “shooting stars” in moonless skies.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.