Geminid Meteor Shower Will Boast Over 100 Meteors Per Hour

Posted: December 11, 2023 9:54 am

Stargazers are in for a treat on Wednesday when the Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak with over 100 meteors per hour. But will the weather cooperate? Here is what you need to know about this meteor shower and the anticipated forecast.

Details of Geminid Meteor Shower

What is regarded as one of the biggest meteor showers of the year will happen on Wednesday, thrilling stargazers that are lucky enough to enjoy clear viewing conditions in their area. If you miss the spectacle of the Geminids, you will have to wait until April of 2024 to check out the next major meteor shower.

The Geminids are going to peak on the night of Wednesday, December 13 and into the early morning hours of December 14. Experts predict that onlookers can count on over 100 meteors per hour during the peak of the show. Some areas may see meteor rates of up to 150 per hour. As usual, you will boost your chance of counting more shooting stars if you move away from the light pollution of a city to enhance the viewing conditions.

One of the best elements of the Geminids is that they feature shooting stars that streak across the sky earlier in the evening. Unlike most major meteor showers that do not begin to show off until the second part of the night, the Geminids are known to start to light up the sky shortly after nightfall. This makes it easier to catch these meteors without staying up all night.

Stargazers can expect the show to begin slowly with just a handful of shooting stars per hour after the sun sets. However, the frequency of the meteors will increase as the night goes on with the numbers exceeding 100 per hour after midnight.

The promising news for this year’s Geminid showing is that it will coincide with a new moon. This means that the moonlight will not work to obstruct the view with its brightness. This will not be the case next year when the meteor shower will happen at the same time as an almost full moon.

Forecast for Wednesday’s Meteor Shower

The biggest issue for those hoping to make a wish upon a shooting star this wear will be the presence of clouds in some parts of the U.S. It is not unusual for the Geminids to be obstructed by clouds due to typical December weather patterns.

This year will be no exception with cloudy skies in the forecast for at least half of the country on Wednesday night. The forecast of clouds includes most of the West Coast, the Gulf Coast, the southern Plains, and New England.

Areas that may have the best luck seeing the meteors include the northern Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the mid-Atlantic. The interior portions of the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain region may also enjoy a break in the clouds that supports optimal viewing conditions for this meteor shower.

Looking ahead, December will bring one more meteor shower before coming to a close. The Ursids are expected to peak on the night of Thursday, December 21 and into the morning of December 22. This meteor shower will only offer about 5 to 10 meteors each hour. Following the Ursids, the Quadrantids will boast over 25 shooting stars per hour on January 3, 2024. However, this short-lived meteor shower only lasts about six hours, making it more difficult to catch the shooting stars in action.

After the Quantrids, stargazers will need to wait until late April to see the Lyrids.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts