If you’re a fan of stargazing, you won’t want to miss the peak of the Geminid meteor shower on Wednesday night.
How to see meteor showers
It will be best seen if you look up to the sky from about 10pm Wednesday to 3am Thursday. The best time to see meteors is around 2 a.m., when the constellation Gemini is highest in the sky.
The Geminid meteor shower can produce up to 120 shooting stars per hour.
Clouds and moonlight, which usually spoil meteor showers, won’t be a problem this year. Wednesday evening is expected to be mostly clear, with skies remaining from 2 a.m., the peak viewing period, until sunrise.
To see more meteors
- The longer you look, the more you see. There may be a quiet period, followed by two or three meteors per minute. Please be patient and….
- I’ll tie it up. Temperatures will be around 20 to 30 degrees.
- Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust. You’ll be surprised at how many more stars you can see. I also keep my cell phone inside. Every time you look at it, the timer to restore your night vision will start from the beginning.
- Look at the darkest part of the sky. It may not be the eastern side of Gemini. Don’t worry, meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
- The meteor should be visible by 10 p.m. Earlier, many meteors will disappear below the horizon as Gemini rises.
Of course, light pollution affects visibility, so the best location is far away from city lights. The good news is that the moon will be almost new, so it will be less bright and the shooting star sight will be better visible.
Skies should clear Wednesday night, but that also means cold weather. If you plan to go out looking for meteor showers, be sure to come prepared.
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