The Perseids They get a lot of attention during the summer hot summer nights in the northern hemisphere, but in fact the Geminid meteor shower is the strongest year. Good news for Sky Watchers: Geminids are now officially official.

The big peak of the shower is not just another week, but the first phase of Geminids combines with the peaks of the other two smaller meteorites, and can produce a dozen meteors per hour on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The big show, which can see up to 150 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, is coming up on Sunday, December 13th and Monday, December 14th.

Even better, it’s one of the few major meteor showers that do not require you to get up well before dawn to catch the best part. In the opinion of the American Material Society, Gemini “Gives good performance before midnight, because the Gemini constellation is well established from 22:00.”

This means that the sky where the meteorites appear to be erupting is at the highest point in the sky at midnight. It will be at its highest level by 2am local time, but departing before midnight still gives a good chance to see a lot. Also, those hours are the best time to see bright and slow-moving “earth grazers” along the horizon.

Bottom line: No real bad times for Geminids. Also, you should not Need Peek into Gemini to find Geminids. Meteors can appear anywhere in the night sky but are usually moving far From Gemini.

2020 Perseid meteor photos glow in the dark year

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Unfortunately, the moon will play its part in making those nights rare for itself and providing those conditions. It will be the smallest sliver of the moon when the new moon falls on December 14th. The rest is your ability to find a broad and clear view of the local climate and night sky. Contamination.

If you can control it, all you have to do is dress appropriately, lie back, adjust your eyes, relax, and watch. Geminids can range from dim and fleeting “shooting stars” to bright and intense colored stripes and perhaps even a fireball here and there. You will have better obstacles in finding meteorites in the northern hemisphere, but Geminids will also appear in the southern part of the equator, in small numbers after nightfall.

We get a meteor shower as the Earth moves through clouds of debris left over from visiting comets. In the case of geminids, the remains come from what is known as the “rock comet”. 3200 Python, Is thought to be an endangered comet orbiting the inner solar system.

I hope to put together a Geminid Glamor Gallery this year. If you get astronomical photographs and can capture the best meteorites, please share them with me on Twitter or Instagram Ric Eric Simack.