Geminid Meteor Shower... PEAK

Tonight....

By Bob Kelley, Scobee Planetarium

Several times each year, our planet passes through the debris stream left in the wake of comets orbiting the Sun. When we encounter such concentrations of tiny particles of ice and rock, the result is a meteor shower. With clear skies, our weather is going to be perfect to try to catch a shooting star!

Decemberâ€™s best meteor shower, reaches peak activity on the nights of 13th and 14th. Known as the Geminids, this display is normally one of the best with over 50 meteors per hour flashing across the sky. The stars of Gemini rise in above the eastern horizon near 8:00pm. With the Moon appearing near 2:00am, our views of this display will be pretty good this year.

As with all meteor showers, only the brightest meteors can be glimpsed from the glare-filled skies of the city. A trip to the country is always recommended.

No binoculars or telescope needed, all you need is your eyes... and don't forget to bundle up - it's going to be chilly!