Stargazers have a chance to see one of the most prolific and visually appealing annual meteor showers as it reaches its optimal viewing time this week.
The Geminid meteor shower will hit its peak Wednesday night into Thursday, according to NASA. The phenomenon can produce up to 120 shooting stars per hour traveling approximately 22 miles per second, with many displayed much brighter than other showers throughout the year.
“Most meteors appear to be colorless or white, however the Geminids appear with a greenish hue,” NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said in a statement on the agency’s website. “They’re pretty meteors!”
The Geminids have been active since Nov. 19 and will continue through Christmas Eve. The moon pattern this year will produce a mostly dark sky during the peak, leading to an optimal viewing experience, according to the astronomy website EarthSky.
What time to see Geminid meteor shower
Unlike other showers that follow a specific path, the Geminid shower is visible to anyone simply by looking up at the sky. It is ideal for young viewers since the meteors usually begin around 9 or 10 p.m., NASA said, though EarthSky lists 2 a.m. Thursday as the peak viewing hour in all time zones.
For meteor enthusiasts, EarthSky recommends heading somewhere with a “dark, open sky,” lying back and looking up. Experts note it will take about 20 minutes for viewers’ eyes to adapt to the dark.
Past showers:Meteor lights up sky in New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic. Check it out
While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids originate from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon, according to NASA. Phaethon was discovered in 1983 and named after a character in Greek mythology who drove a chariot close to the sun, similar to the asteroid’s path.
Scientists are still unsure how to define Phaethon 40 years after its discovery. Its orbit more closely resembles the path of a comet than an asteroid but it does not develop a cometary tail, according to NASA. In addition, the pieces that break off to form Geminid meteors are much denser than flakes from other comets.
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