![\""Geminids\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/03\/02.ParisaBajelan_GeminidMeteorShower-ca1c0be.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Geminids\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What is a meteor? <\/b><\/h1>\n
The name meteor describes the phenomenon that occurs when a small particle \u2013 a meteoroid \u2013 enters Earth\u2019s atmosphere and vaporises.<\/p>\n
From the ground, the swift moving path of light that results is what\u2019s known as a meteor trail. An average trail is produced by a meteoroid similar in size to a grain of sand.<\/p>\n
![\""Meteor\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/02\/IMG_1458_1466_awal1_LR_am4_lr_am4_f_rr_-Panorama-2802efc.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C241"\" "\\"\"Meteors_008\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Larger meteoroids will produce bright trails, and a trail brighter than mag. \u20134 (similar to Venus) is known as a fireball.<\/p>\n
Bright trails are often followed by a glowing column of ionised gas called a meteor train, which fades over time. Persistent trains may last for many seconds, becoming distorted by high altitude atmospheric winds.<\/p>\n
![\""Draconid\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-976216668-1b8dc6c-e1610460928883.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C414"\" "\\"\"Draconid\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What is a meteor shower?<\/h1>\n
Meteor showers are typically associated with comets, although a handful are linked with asteroids, such as 3200 Phaethon<\/a>, the source of the Geminid meteor shower.<\/span><\/p>\n As a comet orbits the Sun, it releases dust. Over many returns, dust spreads around the orbit.<\/span><\/p>\n Earth passes through numerous dust streams annually and, when this happens, the number of trails seen increases.\u00a0<\/span>Peak activity occurs when we pass through the densest part of the stream.<\/span><\/p>\n Perspective causes the incoming trails to emanate from a small area called the shower radiant, which slowly moves over the duration of the shower.<\/span><\/p>\n The constellation in which peak activity occurs gives its name to the shower. For example, the Perseid meteor shower shows peak activity when the radiant is in Perseus.<\/span><\/p>\n Our diagram below illustrates how to spot a meteor that belongs to a shower, as opposed to a sporadic meteor.<\/p>\n 1-3<\/strong> Shower trails Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is a number often quoted as a description of how many meteors you will be able to see during a shower, but in actual fact this figure is used to normalise meteor shower rates for comparative purposes and isn\u2019t intended to represent actual visual rates.<\/p>\n The term assumes a shower\u2019s radiant is directly overhead (at the zenith), and that you are observing under a perfectly clear, dark sky with no visual obstructions.<\/p>\n Few, if any of these conditions will be met in reality, so the actual number of meteors seen is often significantly lower than the quoted ZHR.<\/p>\n Our meteor shower calendar will reveal when the next annual meteor shower is taking place<\/p>\n Dates<\/strong> 28 Dec \u2013 12 January<\/p>\n Usual peak night<\/strong>\u00a03 January<\/p>\n ZHR<\/strong>\u00a0110<\/p>\n Radiant<\/strong>\u00a0Bo\u00f6tes<\/p>\n![\""Icelandic\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2019\/02\/3000-eb0cf2a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C403"\" "\\"\"Meteors_012\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\""Identifying\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/04\/Meteor-shower-radiant-5ec5ff0.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C420"\" "\\"\"Identifying\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\nZenithal Hourly Rate<\/strong><\/h1>\n
When is the next meteor shower?<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Perseid meteor shower<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Orionid meteor shower<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Leonid meteor shower<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Geminid meteor shower<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Quadrantid meteor shower<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
Lyrid meteor shower<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/07\/Perseid-Andromeda-Galaxy-a412ead.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C501"\" "\\"\"A\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>![\""Sporadic\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/25\/2020\/04\/Sporadic-meteor-a832324-e1617111580344.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C467"\" "\\"\"Sporadic\\"\/")
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