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The Best Meteor Shower of the Year Is Peaking, and the Weather in Oregon Might Actually Be Perfect
The Geminid meteor shower, caused by debris from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, can produce up to 120 meteors per hour with many showing vivid colors including fireballs.
- On Dec. 13 the Geminid meteor shower peaks, continuing into the morning of Dec. 14 within the active Dec. 4–Dec. 17 window.
- Scientists note that Phaethon 3200 behaves like a rock comet; researchers propose outgassing, past stronger activity, or breakup to explain the dense debris stream from this unusual asteroid.
- Under ideal skies the shower can produce up to 120 meteors per hour, with vivid colors from metals like calcium, silicon, iron, sodium, nickel, and magnesium burning at roughly 79,000 miles per hour.
- With the moon rising after 2 a.m., observers should start watching around 9 or 10 p.m., dress warmly, allow 20 to 30 minutes for eyes to adapt, and face east before moonrise then west after 2 a.m.
- If clouds interfere on peak night, the Geminids’ Dec. 4–Dec. 17 window still offers strong displays and the International Meteor Organization ranks them the best major shower, while the Ursid shower around Dec. 21 has fewer meteors.
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14 Articles
14 Articles
Des Moines Register+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
The Geminid meteor shower is this week. See when it will peak.
·Des Moines, United States
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Total News Sources14
Leaning Left4Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 40%
C 50%
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