If you're an avid stargazer, we've got some exciting news for you. One of the best annual meteor showers will light up our skies very soon and it's looking like it'll be quite a magical display. The Geminids meteor shower is one of the final celestial spectacles for the year, and it's one worth seeing.
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
While most meteor showers are the result of a comet, the Geminids come from debris shed by 3,200 Phaethon, a five-kilometre-wide asteroid that discards matter as it moves past Earth in space.
It first appeared in the mid-1800s, but it wasn't considered particularly notable at the time, offering just ten to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. The Geminids have grown considerably in scale across the centuries, today offering upwards of 150 meteors per hour in perfect conditions. This particular starry display is considered one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, according to NASA.
When is the best time to see the Geminid meteor shower in Melbourne?
This year, the Geminids will be gracing our skies from December 4 to 20. However, mark your calendars for December 14 – that’s when the meteor shower is set to peak in Melbourne. Up to 150 meteors will streak across the sky every hour, and the prime viewing window will be in the hours just before dawn.
How to see the Geminid meteor shower in Melbourne?
Meteor visibility varies based on factors like moonlight and weather, and with the moon shining brightly over the weekend of December 14, it might wash out all but the brightest meteors. Still, this could mean that 50 shooting stars per hour will still be visible – in our opinion, that’s still worth getting out of bed for.
You should be able to see the brightest Geminids with the naked eye. Find a dark place away from artificial light, give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust and bring plenty of patience. You can find our top spots in this handy guide to the best stargazing spots in Melbourne.
For more advice on how to see the Geminids, head here.
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