What direction is the Geminid meteor shower in 2020?
What direction is the Geminid meteor shower in 2020?
Watch the Geminid meteor shower this week. The meteors radiate from near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini, in the east on December evenings, highest around 2 a.m. local time (time on your clock for all parts of the globe). Be aware of the time of moonset in your location.
What time is the Geminid meteor shower tonight?
about 2 a.m.
The best time to watch for the Geminids is about 2 a.m. in your local time zone.
What days will the Geminids meteor shower be visible in December 2020?
The Geminids occur every year from about December 4 to 16, peaking the night of December 13 into the morning of December 14. This is the shower’s “maximum”—the time when the most meteors fall per hour.
What time does the Geminid meteor shower peak?
Although the moon will brighten up the sky and make it harder to see the Geminids this year, astronomers say from about 2 a.m. to sunrise, no matter your time zone, will be prime viewing time.
What causes the Geminid meteor shower?
The Geminid meteor shower is caused by a stream of debris left by the asteroid, 3200 Phaethon. When the Earth passes through the trails of dust every December left by 3200 Phaethon, we see the Geminid meteor shower as the dust (meteoroids) burn up in Earth’s atmosphere creating meteors.
How often does the Geminid meteor shower happen?
The shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 02:00 to 03:00 local time….Geminids.
| Geminids (GEM) | |
|---|---|
| Declination | +32° |
| Properties | |
| Occurs during | December 4 – December 17 |
| Date of peak | December 14 |
What is the cause of the Geminid meteor shower?
The Geminids originate from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon that orbits the sun every 1.4 years, scattering pieces of itself as it travels. Those tiny rocks slam into our atmosphere, creating trails of dazzling light as they burn up.
Where do the Geminid meteors come from?
The Asteroid Unlike most meteor showers which originate from comets, the Geminids originate from an asteroid: 3200 Phaethon. Asteroid 3200 Phaethon takes 1.4 years to orbit the sun once.
