The Geminids of 2024 are ongoing, and the meteor shower is about to peak in the next couple of days. When it does, we could see up to 150 meteors per hour! It is not among the biggest meteor showers for nothing. The only drawback might be the Moon approaching fullness, which could dampen the spectacle a bit.
The expected rate is predicted by the International Meteor Organization, with the peak expected to happen between December 13 and 14. Throughout the night, lovers of the night sky will have to contend with the bright Moon, which is likely to drown out the fainter streaks. The shower is visible from both hemispheres, but observers at a latitude below 30 N will have a better chance to see some action. From there, the Moon will set about an hour before dawn, giving viewers about one hour of darkness.
The shower is called Geminids because it appears to originate from the constellation of Gemini. It is one of the few showers that are not caused by the debris left by a comet, but rather by an asteroid – specifically, 3200 Phaeton, which is 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) in diameter.
Unlike many asteroids, Phaeton is in a comet-like orbit and releases dust (which makes up the Geminids), possibly due to extreme heating from the Sun. Phaeton shouldn’t be confused with the new class of dark comets, although there might be some overlap between them and active asteroids.
The meteors move at around 35 kilometers (22 miles) per second and burn brightly through the atmosphere so they are fairly easy to spot and track. They tend to disintegrate completely at about 39 kilometers (24 miles) of altitude. They were even recorded in space last year when European astronaut Andreas Mogensen got them on camera.
If the weather where you are is not good, our friends at the Virtual Telescope Project have got you covered. You can experience the celestial event from the comfort of your own home.
Source Link: Get Ready For The Biggest Meteor Shower Of The Year To Peak This Week
