The strongest meteor shower of the year is visible this week.
From Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, stargazers or skywatchers can see one of the strongest meteor showers, according to The New York Times. This shower is the Geminids. They are active from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24 so for about a month at the end of the year. Their peak is on Dec. 13.
Accoridng to NASA, they are the best and most reliable showers of the year. They happen six days after the moon is full and is interfering with their light.
The Geminids showers start around 9 or 10 p.m. According to NASA, you will want to view the shower away from the city or street lights. Make sure you have a sleeping bag or blanket. It is also recommended that you lie flat on your back with your feet facing south so you can see more of the sky. Eventually, your eyes will adapt to the dark. NASA said to also be patient. The show lasts until about dawn.
“Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids. When these objects come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky,” NASA said on their website.
The Geminids gets its name from the constellation of Gemini, according to NASA.
If you are in the northern latitudes, you can see them for about three hours once the sun sets and before the moon rises. According to the NYT, you can expect to see about five to 10 meteors per hour.
According to CNN, the Geminids are viewable from all parts of hte world but the Southern Hemisphere will have the best view around 2 a.m. local time.
“Even when the moon is up, its place in the sky will not be close to the constellation where this shower radiates from, Gemini, so observers can try to get the moon behind a wall or other obstruction for increased visibility,” said the NYT.
The next and final annual meteor shower of hte year will be the UrSids that will peak on Dec, 22, according to EarthSky per CNN.