Plan to stay up late Tuesday as one of the most visible meteor showers of the year will be passing through the night sky.
The Geminids are typically one of the strongest meteor showers on the calendar, according to the American Meteor Society.
“This is the one major shower that provides good activity prior to midnight as the constellation of Gemini is well placed from [10 p.m.] onward,” the society said.
The meteors are typically bright and intensely colored; however, because the meteors are on the slower side, observers won’t be able to see persistent trains streaking across the sky. The moon being at 72% fullness will also outshine the meteor shower for some.
Still, it’s the best chance to see some shooting stars for those who are interested.
“If you had to pin one (meteor shower) as being the best of the year, year in and year out, it would be the Geminids,” Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the society, told CNN. “Normally, from let’s say the suburban area, under good conditions, you could probably see 30 to 40 meteors (an hour).”
NASA advises people to find locations away from city or streetlights and lie flat on their backs with their feet facing south. After about 30 minutes of looking at the night sky, viewers’ eyes should adjust and they will begin to see meteors.
“Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse,” NASA said. The agency also reminded people to wear warm clothes.
Geminids come from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which NASA said is named after the character in Greek mythology who drove the sun-god Helios’ chariot.
Phaethon takes about 16 months to orbit the sun and was first discovered in 1983.
Small pieces of the asteroid break off during the course of its orbit, which is the source of the Geminid meteor shower passing through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.
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