Skywatchers will have quite a show before Christmas as the Geminid meteor shower will be lighting the sky this week.
Ice crystals and meteors will be falling, with the peak of what is being called “the year’s best meteor shower” happening from Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, The Washington Post reported.
It will outshine both last month’s Leonid shower and the Perseid meteor shower that happened in August, according to Space.com.
The meteors fly at about 21 miles per second, or about half the speed of the meteors in the Leonid shower, burning in the Earth’s outer atmosphere.
There will be various colors visible, depending on what chemicals make up the meteors. You may see purple, green and amber.
This is the yearly space present that comes during the holiday season like clockwork, the Post reported.
The American Meteor Society said the moon won’t wash out the shower, as it will be at about 1% on Wednesday night, and it will be seen across the globe if the weather cooperates. The best views will be seen in the Northern Hemisphere.
More than 100 meteors may be seen in an hour, NASA said. It all depends on how dense the dust is when the Earth passes through, the Post reported.
To see the most meteors, you’ll want to head out after 10 p.m., but night owls will have the best views, as the most will be seen between midnight and 2 a.m.
You’ll want to find a spot as dark as possible. Bring your patience, because you will probably have to wait to see a “shooting star.” Leave your phone. The screen’s glare may negate your night vision, the Post reported.
And get comfy — in colder regions, you’ll want to bundle up and bring a warm drink or two while you’re waiting to see the peak shower.
The meteors will appear to come from near Castor in the constellation Gemini where the shower gets its name from, according to Space.com.
