The Geminid meteor shower begins this week.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED / NASA Facebook
December 10, 2024 - 6:00 AM
Considered by NASA to be one of the best, most reliable meteor showers of the year, the peak of the Geminids will be dimmed by the light of an almost full moon this year.
Known for their brightness and high speeds, 120 Geminid meteors can be viewed per hour at their peak on a moonless night. This year viewers will have to be patient as only the brightest meteors will be visible.
The meteors come from comet particles and bits from asteroids that leave trails of debris behind them when the orbit the sun. Earth passes through the trails where debris collides with the atmosphere and disintegrate into fiery streaks.
While most meteor showers originate from comets, Geminids come from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, and scientists are unclear how to define it, according to NASA.
Asteroids are small rocky objects that orbit the sun, but it’s possible 3200 Phaethon is a dead comet as it has a comet-like elliptical orbit. However, it does not develop a tail like a comet and the bits that break off of it are denser than those of a comet.
The Geminids meteor shower has been building since Nov. 19 and peaks at 1 p.m. on Dec. 13, before petering out on Christmas Eve. There are good chances to see the meteors the nights before and after the peak.
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Appearing to radiate from the constellation Gemini, viewers can find a place away from city lights, lie down with feet facing south, and allow half an hour for your eyes to get accustomed to the night sky.
The best night for viewing the meteors in Kamloops and the Okanagan is on Friday, Dec. 13 when overnight clouds are in the forecast. There is a chance of flurries overnight on Dec. 12 and Dec. 14.
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