Night of Wishes: Geminids Bring Spectacular Meteor Shower

Not only in August, when the annual Perseid meteor shower occurs, is it worth looking up: The "Geminids" in December are actually considered "the most reliable and usually the most beautiful" meteor shower of the year. According to the Vienna Working Group for Astronomy (WAA), the spectacle is heading towards its peak around December 14th.

Geminid Meteor Shower Begins

Due to the weather - in addition to the cold temperatures, observation ambitions often run counter to the high fog conditions that prevail in the lowlands at this time of year - the Geminid meteor shower is at a disadvantage compared to the Perseids. However, it is in no way inferior to its more famous counterpart. They offer up to 150 appearances per hour around the maximum, according to the WAA. The most promising observation period is between 5:00 PM and 6:00 AM the following day. The visibility period generally ranges from December 4th to December 20th - until December 17th, it is likely most worthwhile to look up.

Promising Night on December 14th

The absolute peak is expected in the late morning hours of Sunday, December 14th, according to Carolin Liefke from the House of Astronomy in Heidelberg. However, the meteor shower will already face competition from the morning light. The best Geminid night is therefore from Saturday to Sunday (December 13th to 14th), according to Liefke to the dpa: "The moon is waning and only rises around 2:30 AM that night. It hardly disturbs."

From the perspective of Uwe Pilz from the German Association of Star Friends, it is not worth seeking out a truly dark location because of the moon. "However, one should still avoid the full glow of city lights."

When and Where to Best See Them

To discover the Geminids, according to Liefke, one must look for the constellation "Gemini." This rises in the evening hours in the eastern sky. Therefore, shooting stars can be expected throughout the night. "For those who do not know the constellation Gemini: It is located to the left above Orion in the sky," explained the deputy director of the Heidelberg House of Astronomy.

Particularly bright in the constellation Gemini are the two main stars Castor and Pollux, which are named after a pair of twins from Greek mythology. "Finding it is not difficult this year: The conspicuously bright planet Jupiter is right in the middle of Gemini, just below Castor and Pollux, that's all you really need as a reference point," said Liefke.

Pilz advises with a view to the night of December 14: "You will best see them in the second half of the night when Gemini - the original constellation - is high in the sky." According to the House of Astronomy, the apparent radiant point of the shooting stars is just above Castor, the upper of the two twin stars.

Geminids Expected to be "Impressive" This Year

The Geminids, unlike other meteor showers, travel relatively slowly at about 35 kilometers per second. Bright appearances - namely brighter than the brightest stars - are quite common, according to the WAA. This year's situation promises a lot: They are "most likely to deliver the most impressive meteor shower appearance in the year 2025," reads the association's website.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.