How To See The Geminids, One Of The Strongest Meteor Showers Of The Year

The annual Geminid meteor shower, which the American Meteor Society says is often “the strongest meteor shower of the year,” will peak Friday night into Saturday morning, and although December’s full moon will wash it out a bit this year, skygazers can still expect to see a dazzling show.

What Are The Geminids?

Nearly 200 years old, the Geminid meteor shower was first recorded in 1833 from a riverboat on the Mississippi River. According to NASA, the first showers were not noteworthy, containing only 10-20 meteors per hour. Over the centuries since, however, the Geminids have become one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year. Bright and fast, the Geminids also tend to be yellow in color.

Most meteor showers originate from comets, but the Geminids come from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon that measures just 3.17 miles across. We see the meteors because the Earth is crossing through a “cloud” of dust from 3200 Phaethon’s orbit around the sun.

At its peak, the Geminid shower usually produces about 120 falling stars an hour under dark skies, but this year, because of the almost-full moon, it will produce about 15 meteors an hour for people living outside of light-polluted areas. It will still be worth your time, however, as the Geminids are memorably vivid and bright.

Who Will Be Able To See Them?

According to senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman, “most of the Northeast should have good viewing Friday night. Florida too, except for the Panhandle, as well as the Texas coast. Otherwise, your best bets will probably be in southern Arizona and southern New Mexico.” Erdman warns that those in the Northeast should bundle up, as the temperatures will be quite cold.

Senior writer Chris DeWeese edits Morning Brief, The Weather Channel’s weekday newsletter.