Geminid Meteor Shower 2019
- 11th Dec 2019
- Author: Tamela Maciel
Geminids
This week, the Geminids peak on the 13-14 December between midnight and dawn. This king of the meteor showers can produce up to 120 meteors an hour on a clear, dark night. This year a nearly full Moon will block some of the fainter meteors, but the Geminids are so numerous that it could still be a good show.
The Geminids are caused by the Earth passing through the debris left behind by asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Exactly how this rocky asteroid produces enough debris to create the Geminids is still a mystery. Most meteor showers are caused by debris shed by the tails of comets, but asteroid 3200 Phaethon doesn’t have a tail nor appear to shed much debris, even when it’s close to the Sun.
Nevertheless the debris is there and as it hits Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, it heats up and disintegrates in flashes of light that we call meteors.
The Geminids are normally the most intense meteor shower of the year, producing up to 120 meteors an hour.
Unfortunately this year the Moon will be nearly full and visible all night. This will block the fainter meteors, but if the night sky is clear, the Geminids may still put on a good show.
Best viewing will be 13-14 December between midnight and dawn.
How to Watch
The Geminids are named after the constellation Gemini as this is the direction from which they appear to originate. While the meteors appear to originate from Gemini, they are best seen 30 degrees away from origin, so be sure to keep careful watch across the whole sky.
To view the Geminids from the UK, head outside anytime between midnight and dawn.
Look up, keep an eye on the whole sky, and find a location as far from city lights as you can.
The Geminids are active between 7-17 December. So if it’s cloudy on the 13-14th, you can always try again on a nearby day.
Meteor Infographic
Download our National Space Centre Meteor Shower Guide to make sure you are fully prepared to watch the Geminids!
Other upcoming meteor showers for 2019 include:
Ursids
Comet of Origin: 8P/Tuttle
Radiant: constellation Ursa Minor
Peak Activity: 21-22 Dec 2019
Peak Activity Meteor Count: 10 meteors per hour
