Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Dec. 13-14 Despite Bright Moonlight

Skywatchers may have to contend with bright moonlight, but the annual Geminid meteor shower will still offer a chance to catch some bright meteors when it peaks overnight on Dec. 13-14.

While the moonlight will wash out the fainter meteors, it’ll still be possible to see some of the bigger and brighter meteors, so it’s definitely worth a look if you have clear skies.

The Geminid meteor shower is caused by debris from near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon — a peculiar asteroid that exhibits comet-like behavior and completes its orbit around the sun roughly every 1.4 years.

3200 Phaethon may have collided with another celestial object long ago, resulting in a stream of particles that Earth passes through, giving rise to the Gemind meteor shower. As Earth moves through the trail of particles left behind by this space rock, these “asteroid fragments” ignite upon entering our atmosphere, creating striking streaks of light.

Gemind meteors are usually quite easy to see as they appear bright and intensely colored according to the American Meteor Society. The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini which will be well placed high in the northern hemisphere sky from about 10 p.m. local time. Due to the bright 92% illuminated moon at the time of the Geminds peak, it is recommended standing with your back to the moon and facing the direction of the darkest section of the sky for the highest chance of spotting some Geminid meteors.