How to see the best meteor shower of the year
Geminids will peak Sunday evening through early Monday morning; known for producing bright meteors at rates of 120 per hour.
- Geminids meteor shower known for dramatic meteors
- For best viewing, try to get away from city lights
- NASA will broadcast live on the web
If you don't mind the cold, you can catch what astronomers are predicting will be the best meteor shower of the year Sunday evening into Monday morning.
The annual Geminids meteor shower is billed as the best because it produces more meteors per hour than other showers. The show starts around 9 or 10 p.m. and continues overnight. This year a crescent moon on Sunday will set early, making it easier to spot meteors.
"The shower is showy in the sense that the meteors you get to see are usually very dramatic," said Adam Block, who manages the University of Arizona's Mount Lemmon SkyCenter.
You should also be able to see meteors in the nights leading up to Sunday, although Sunday evening-Monday morning will be your best chance to see the most meteors.
Here are some viewing tips:
When to view: Sunday evening, Dec. 13, after 9 or 10 p.m. into Monday morning, Dec. 14.
Where to view meteors: The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini, but you don't need to focus your eyes only there. Meteors will appear across the sky, said Patrick Young, an associate professor at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration. Don't use binoculars or a telescope; the fast-moving meteors will disappear quickly from view.
How to view: Get away from city lights, if possible. If you can't leave the city, find the darkest spot in your yard away from street and house lights. Meteors appear in bursts, Young said. You may see several in a short time and then not any for several minutes. Plan to bundle up against the cold and spend at least 30 minutes outside.
Too cold to go outside? You can watch a live broadcast online hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The show starts at 9 p.m. Arizona time (10 p.m. Central Time) on Sunday until 1 a.m. Monday on NASA TV.
Best places to stargaze in the Valley:
