The Geminid Meteor Shower

 The Backyard Astronomer

The Annual Geminid meteor shower will peak on the night of Thursday, December 13, and continue into the morning of Friday the 14th. This shower will produce up to 120 meteors per hour with bright fireballs. When the Earth crosses debris fields from comets as we orbit the sun, it produces annual meteor showers. It is why various meteor showers occur at the same time each year. In the case of the Geminids, Earth will encounter tiny sand-sized particles from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, with some gravel-sized pieces producing bright, dramatic fireballs that will light up the sky and the ground.

The meteors will harmlessly vaporize some 80 kilometers above the ground at a slow 35 km/sec compared to the Perseids in August at twice that speed. You can see a few meteors at about 7:00 pm locally when the constellation is low in the northeast. You can see more significant numbers as the constellation rises throughout the night. The moon will not interfere this year. It is a must-see event.

 The Backyard Astronomer / Known as “The Backyard Astronomer,” Gary Boyle is an astronomy educator, guest speaker, monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and a STEM educator. More than 55 Canadian radio stations and various television stations across Canada and the U.S. have interviewed Gary. In recognition of his public outreach in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union has honored him with the name Asteroid (22406) Garyboyle. Follow him on Facebook and his website: www.wondersofastronomy.com.