{"id":52333,"date":"2023-12-04T15:20:11","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T15:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e0aac612-6e67-42a8-88d2-30a0a5f9f181"},"modified":"2023-12-04T15:32:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T15:32:34","slug":"see-the-geminid-meteor-shower-peak-this-month","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/see-the-geminid-meteor-shower-peak-this-month\/","title":{"rendered":"See the Geminid meteor shower peak this month"},"content":{"rendered":"

Find out when is the best time to see a Geminid meteor in the sky. <\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Monday, 04 December 2023 at 15:20 PM<\/p>

\n\n

The Geminid meteor shower is one of the big-hitters of the year and in 2023 the best time to see it will be next week, between 13 – 15 December.<\/p>

Geminds activity starts early December, with low rates producing the odd Geminid during an all-night session.<\/p>

Things start to get interesting after 10\/11 December in the run up to the peak period.<\/p>

In 2023, peak rates for the Geminid meteor shower should occur on the nights of 13\/14 and 14\/15 December.<\/p>

The shower\u2019s activity peters out by the end of the third week in December.<\/p>

Find out when the next meteor shower<\/a> is happening<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>

Get weekly Moon rise times and phases sent directly to your email inbox by signing up to the <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong><\/a> e-newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

Geminid meteor shower by Parisa Bajelan, Alamut Valley, Alborz, Iran, 14 December 2020.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The Geminid meteor shower has a high peak Zenithal Hourly Rate and a relatively broad peak period.<\/p>

The Zenithal Hourly Rate for a meteor shower is a figure describing how many meteors you would ideally see during peak activity under perfect conditions.<\/p>

If the Moon is out of the way, the weather kind, and you have dark skies, the Geminids can be awesome. <\/p>

In 2023 the Moon is out of the way. It\u2019s in an early phase and sets fairly early on.<\/p>

The unknown is the weather and during December this can be an issue.<\/p>

\"Chart
Chart showing the location of the radiant of the Geminid meteor shower 2023. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Where to look to see the Geminid meteor shower<\/strong><\/h2>

Meteor showers appear to emanate from a specific region of the sky, which is known as the shower ‘radiant’.<\/p>

The Geminid meteor shower’s radiant is in the constellation Gemini and barely dips below the horizon mid-afternoon.<\/p>

This means that Geminid shower meteors could, in theory, be seen as darkness falls.<\/p>

However, bear in mind that the radiant altitude is very low early on and this will significantly reduce the number of meteors seen.\u00a0<\/p>

The good news is the radiant increases to a maximum altitude of 70\u00b0 at around 02:20 UT.<\/p>

With the Moon out of the way and clear skies, there\u2019s potential for around 12 hours of meteor watching. <\/p>

Sleep management and warm clothing are a must for serious Geminid watchers!<\/p>

\"The
The Geminids are caused by Earth passing through the debris stream from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

How to see a Geminid meteor<\/strong><\/h2>

When observing the Geminid meteor shower, the best strategy is to wrap up warm and use something like a sun-lounger to lie on.<\/p>

View at an altitude around 60\u00b0, this being where there\u2019s a balance between atmospheric extinction \u2013 dimming of meteors due to a thicker atmospheric layer \u2013 and a thick enough section of atmosphere for meteors to occur in.<\/p>

Directly overhead represents the thinnest layer of atmosphere you can look through.<\/p>

In theory this would give the cleanest view, but at the cost of a reduced number of meteors.<\/p>

Aim to keep watch in shifts, with comfort breaks in between.<\/p>

A flask of hot tea or soup can really take the sting out of a long, cold December Geminid watch.<\/p>

Give yourself at least 20 minutes in total darkness to properly dark adapt and don\u2019t expose your eyes to any stray light throughout the watch.<\/p>

If you must use light to write an observation or access a chart, use a dim red torch.<\/p>

For more advice, watch our video guide to stargazing in December 2023 below, primed to begin at the Geminid meteor shower section.<\/p>