Following the Orionid meteor shower in October, the Geminid meteor shower will light up the night sky between 14-15 of December 2023. 27 meteors are expected to cross the sky in remote areas between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on December 15th.
The Geminids are active from November 24 through December 24 but don’t kick into high gear until the second week of December. The Hong Kong Space Museum describes the meteors of the Geminid meteor shower as relatively bright, slow, numerous, and stable, which are ideal for naked-eye viewing.
About the Geminid meteor shower
Every year, the asteroid Phaethon passes near the Earth, and the debris from the object falls into the Earth’s atmosphere, where it is then heated and burned up by air, forming meteors. Geminids is the name given to the meteor shower originating from Phaeton, marking one of two major meteor showers not originating from a comet.
Astronomers love to compare the “rainfall amount” between meteor showers. While the fall rate of most meteor showers is in the single digits, it’s predicted that the Geminid meteor shower will reach 150 per hour at 3 a.m. on December 15, which makes it worth watching. The International Meteor Organisation offers more information and animated illustrations on its website.
Where and how to see the Geminid meteor shower?
The Hong Kong Tourism Board highlights four key stargazing locations: Shek O, Sunset Peak, West Dam of High Island Reservoir, and Tai Mei Tuk Main Dam.
Hong Kong Space Museum suggests a location with a wide view of the sky and low light pollution for observing the shower. It will broadcast the Geminid meteor shower live on December 14 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on its YouTube channel with live reporting offering related astronomical knowledge.
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For photographers, it is best to bring a camera with a long exposure function and a wide-angle lens. One way to capture the meteor shower is to aim at the darkest area in the sky and choose a star to focus. Then adjust the aperture and sensitivity to appropriate values for a long exposure while avoiding noise from a high ISO value.
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This story first appeared here.
Images: Diana Robinson Photography/Getty Images, International Meteor Organisation
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