BEST METEOR SHOWER OF THE YEAR!
Meteor through the Dark Horse nebula, Amazing Maui Stars!
The Geminid meteor shower, which will be visible over the next few days, is one of the most anticipated and spectacular meteor showers of the year. Here are some fun and interesting facts about it:
Best Meteor Shower of the Year: The Geminid meteor shower is often considered the best meteor shower of the year because it produces a high number of meteors (up to 120 per hour) and the meteors are bright and colorful. The shower peaks between December 13 and 14, but it can be visible from early December through mid-month.
Origin of the Geminids: Unlike most meteor showers that come from comets, the Geminids are associated with an asteroid! They originate from 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid that passes close to the Sun. Some scientists believe that Phaethon may have once been a comet, but as it lost its icy material, it became more like an asteroid.
Named After Gemini: The Geminids are named after the constellation Gemini, because their radiant—the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to come—is located in this constellation. Gemini is visible in the evening sky, especially after midnight.
Visible Worldwide: The Geminid meteor shower is visible to observers around the world, though the best views tend to be in the Northern Hemisphere. The radiant in Gemini rises higher in the sky as the night progresses, so the best time to watch is after midnight.
Bright Meteors: The Geminid meteors are often brighter than those of other showers. Some can even be visible in the light-polluted skies of urban areas, though of course, darker locations always offer the best views.
Meteor Speed: The Geminid meteors travel at a speed of about 22 miles per second (35 km/s). While this is slower than some other meteor showers (like the Perseids), it still creates impressive streaks across the sky.
Watching This Year: The Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of December 13-14, 2024, however this coincides with a nearly Full Moon, meaning that the sky will be fairly bright making the meteors harder to spot. On Maui try from Nov 24th before 2am when the moon rises. Each day the moon will rise a half hour later. Around Dec 4th the moon will set at 9pm then set an hour later each day afterwards.
Enjoy the show—it's an incredible event for stargazers of all experience levels!