One of the best meteor showers in recent years will be lighting up the night sky, as the annual Geminids reach their peak Wednesday night into Thursday, astronomy experts say.
The Geminids meteor shower became active Nov. 19 and will continue to produce some bright shooting stars through Christmas Eve, but the biggest burst of activity is expected during the late-night hours of Wednesday, Dec. 13, into the early morning hours on Thursday, Dec. 14, according to the EarthSky.org website.
The annual Geminids shower often generates 50 to 100 meteors per hour, and even as many as 120 to 150 per hour in dark locations during its peak period, astronomy experts say.
The 2023 shower could be the best one in years because the moon entered its new phase — when it looks completely dark in the sky — on Tuesday, Dec. 12. It will give off very little light in its waxing crescent phase during the meteor shower’s peak activity Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.
Mostly clear skies are forecast Wednesday night into Thursday over the Lehigh Valley, the National Weather Service says. Stargazers will need to bundle up, with a low around 23 and a calm, west wind around 5 mph forecast for Lehigh Valley International Airport outside Allentown.
Where the meteors come from
While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids are actually tiny fragments of an asteroid, known as 3200 Phaethon. Another meteor shower that’s linked to an asteroid is the Quadrantids, peaking in early January 2024.
The Geminids were named after the constellation Gemini, “because the meteors seem to emerge from this constellation in the sky,” TimeAndDate.com notes.
Other meteor showers in December
The final meteor shower of 2023 will be the Ursids meteor shower, which will be visible in the northern hemisphere from Dec. 13 to Dec. 24 and is targeted to reach its peak during the late-night hours of Friday, Dec. 22, into the early morning hours on Saturday, Dec. 23.
Because the December moon turns full on the night of Dec. 26, it will be about 85% illuminated during the peak period of the Ursids meteor shower, according to EarthSky. As a result, the bright moonlight “may interfere with the Ursids in 2023 until the moon sets about three hours before sunrise.”
The Ursids meteor shower usually generates only five to 10 shooting stars per hour, with the highest numbers in the darkest locations. However, once in a while, this meteor shower over-performs with big bursts of shooting stars.
Viewing tips for meteor showers
As with any meteor shower, it’s best to find a viewing location that is as far away as possible from bright city lights or street lights. With cold weather settling in, make sure you bundle up and bring extra blankets if you plan to do some skywatching.
Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark sky.
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) December 13, 2023If you have access to clear, dark skies tonight, watch for the Geminid #meteorshower. Details: https://t.co/leaUCjVUse
More stargazing tips: https://t.co/EKG2nbCvpV 🔭 pic.twitter.com/RiuTPQLuNf
Even though meteor showers get their names from the constellation where they radiate from, astronomy experts say it’s best to not focus on those parts of the sky.
“You don’t want to look towards these constellations to see the meteors, but all around the sky,” said Amie Gallagher, planetarium director at Raritan Valley Community College and secretary for the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society.
“You don’t need to use a telescope or binoculars to watch a meteor shower,” Gallagher added. “Just use your eyes and scan the sky.”
Your chances of spotting a shooting star usually get better the later you stay awake.
“Meteor showers are best watched after midnight,” Gallagher said. “That’s when the part of the Earth that you are on is moving into the stream of debris in space left behind by the parent comet” or asteroid.
Stories by Len Melisurgo
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or @LensReality.
Kurt Bresswein contributed to this report. Reach him at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
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