Grab something warm and head out to a dark place to experience the wonder of the Geminid meteor shower, which peaks Dec. 13 and 14.
The Geminids are an annual meteor shower occurring when the Earth passes through the debris tail of asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Most meteor showers originate from comets, which spew tiny chunks of ice that burn in our planet's atmosphere. Phaethon is not a comet but rather a strange type of asteroid that astronomers sometimes call a "rock comet," meaning that it is heated when coming close to the sun, producing dusty debris that turn into meteors in Earth's skies.
For the first time, Earth might also pass through the tail of another object, comet Wirtanen, which should increase the meteor action. Scientists are not completely sure that Earth will go through Wirtanen's tail but if it does, it could produce a simultaneous second meteor shower, potentially called the Piscids.
Look up anytime between midnight and sunrise in your local timezone to get a glimpse of the Geminids. Beautiful yellowish streaks will light up the sky, with as many as 160 meteors per hour expected to shine during peak hours, usually between 2 and 3 a.m. Many meteors will appear to originate from the constellation Gemini, though they should be visible all over the sky. If Wirtanen contributes to the shower, up to 30 meteors per hour could come from the constellation Pisces.
Image: Frank McMains/Flickr
