The weather is turning cold again, but a trip outside to scan the night sky might be worth the chill, because one of the biggest meteor showers of the year is expected to reach its peak this weekend.
Experts say the colorful Geminid meteor shower is already active, but it will be at its best from the late-night hours on Friday, Dec. 13, into the early morning hours on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The annual Geminid shower often generates 50 to 100 meteors per hour, and even as many as 120 to 150 per hour in dark locations during its peak period, astronomy experts say. And sometimes it creates bright fireballs.
One big issue with the 2024 Geminid meteor shower: The December moon will be turning full early Sunday morning, so it will be giving off abundant light on Friday and Saturday.
The glow of the so-called “cold moon” will interfere with the view of the annual Geminid meteor shower.
However, experts from Space.com say stargazers should still try to catch a glimpse of the shower this weekend because of the large number of shooting stars it typically produces.
“While the moonlight will wash out the fainter meteors, it’ll still be possible to see some of the bigger and brighter meteors,” Space.com notes, “so it’s definitely worth a look if you have clear skies.”
Although most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids are actually tiny fragments of an asteroid, known as 3200 Phaethon.
The Geminids were named after the constellation Gemini, “because the meteors seem to emerge from this constellation in the sky,” TimeAndDate.com notes.
“While the August Perseids are more popular given warm summertime weather, the Geminids are known for their striking hues,” the Washington Post says. “Some might shine green, purple and amber, and could leave shimmering trails, too.”
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.
