![]() This is because the moonlight “washes out” the fainter meteors, resulting in sky watchers seeing the fewer bright ones. Thus, observers in these locations see fewer Geminids than their northern counterparts.īesides the weather, the phase of the Moon is a major factor in determining whether a meteor shower will have good rates during any given year. As you enter the Southern Hemisphere and move towards the South Pole, the altitude of the Geminid radiant – the celestial point in the sky where the Geminid meteors appear to originate – gets lower and lower above the horizon. Yet, it is best viewed by observers in the Northern Hemisphere. The Geminids can be seen by most of the world. Meteors belonging to other showers, like the Perseids, burn up much higher. ![]() Whatever the nature of Phaethon, observations show that the Geminids are denser than meteors belonging to other showers, enabling them to get as low as 29 miles above Earth’s surface before burning up. Others argue that it has to be an asteroid because of its orbit and its similarity to the main-belt asteroid Pallas. Some astronomers consider it to be an extinct comet, based on observations showing some small amount of material leaving Phaethon’s surface. The Geminids are caused by debris from a celestial object known as 3200 Phaethon, whose origin is the subject of some debate. ![]() All the radiants are in Gemini, which means they belong to the Geminid shower. The Geminids appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Gemini, hence the name “Geminids.” The graphic shows the radiants of 388 meteors with speeds of 35 km/s observed by the NASA Fireball Network in December 2020. ![]() All meteors appear to come from the same place in the sky, which is called the radiant. 14, making those hours the best time for viewing the meteor shower. The shower is currently active until Dec. Relaxed eyes will quickly zone in on any movement up above, and you'll be able to spot more meteors.Every December we have a chance to see one of our favorite meteor showers – the Geminids. Instead, let your eyes hang loose and don't look in any one specific spot. "Using either reduces the amount of sky you can see at one time, lowering the odds that you'll see anything but darkness. While binoculars and telescopes are usually helpful in seeing the night sky, NASA suggests you leave these at home when watching meteor showers. To get the most out of your Geminids-viewing experience, find an area away from city and street lights, bring clothing to keep you comfortable in colder winter weather, and also bring something comfortable to sit or lie down on. We're talking about 60 to 80 miles above our heads all the action is happening," he said. "Those individual little streaks of light that you see during a meteor shower, it's a tiny thing that's burning up in the upper atmosphere. Each year, Earth slams into the particles "like clockwork," creating these annual celestial shows. Meteor showers experienced on Earth are actually sand-grain-sized particles shed from comets, said Andrew Fazekas, the "Night Sky Guy" and science columnist with National Geographic. Yet no need to know where Gemini is - meteors will be visible across the sky. The Geminids are named after Gemini, as they appear to originate from the constellation.
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