Sky Show: Geminid meteor peak could dazzle tonight
As many as 120 meteors per hour could streak across Minnesota skies.
I stepped outside for about 5 minutes late Tuesday night. In the first minute, I saw 3 colorful meteors streaking across the sky above me. Then it was quiet for a few minutes before I caught a 4th meteor zipping overhead. And it could get even better tonight.
The annual Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight. And this could be one of the best viewing opportunities for Minnesota in years. The combination of no moon and clear skies should allow us to see more meteors streak across the sky overnight.
Here’s a guide on where to look and what you may see tonight.
The Geminids
Every year in mid-December, Earth passes through a debris stream from an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. As tiny grains of sand-sized particles burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, we see the combustion trails streaking across the sky above us.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
NASA estimates that the Geminids can produce up to 120 visible meteors per hour, making it the strongest annual meteor shower.
Here’s more detail from NASA.
The Geminids meteor shower, which peaks during mid-December each year, is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers. The Geminids did not start out that way. The Geminids first began appearing in the mid-1800s. However, the first showers were not noteworthy with only 10 to 20 meteors seen per hour. Since that time, the Geminids have grown to become one of the major meteor showers of the year. During its peak, 120 Geminid meteors can be seen per hour under perfect conditions. The Geminids are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in color.
When and where to look
The best way to see the most and brightest meteors tonight is to get away from city lights. Spend a few minutes in the dark skies to let your eyes adjust. Meteors could occur anywhere in the sky but may favor the northeastern sky.
You could see meteors any time of night, but the best viewing will generally be in the hours surrounding midnight.
What you’ll see
Geminid meteors are often very bright. You might even see different colors because of the chemical makeup of the particles. Some have calcium, sodium, or nickel. So you could see hues of orange, yellow, or green.
Forecast: Clear skies
Skies over Minnesota should be clear tonight. Combine that with a moon that’s just 1 percent illuminated and you’ll have nearly ideal viewing conditions.
Temperatures tonight will fall through the 30s in most areas, so you’ll clearly want to bundle up. But it could be so much colder this time of year, so we’re getting off lucky.
Enjoy the show!