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SALT LAKE CITY — The annual Geminids meteor shower, deemed one of the best of the year, will peak late Saturday night and continue into the early hours of Sunday, according to NASA.
The Geminids shower can be seen from around the world and has been active since Dec. 4. It is expected to continue through the 17th, but the best chance to view the meteors will be during the shower’s peak, which experts expect to start between 9 and 10 p.m. Saturday.
“The Geminids are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in color. Geminids are also known for their fireball meteors,” the NASA Geminids page reads. “Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak.”
As many as 120 Geminid meteors per hour can be viewed during the peak, according to NASA. Astronomers recommended finding an area that is away from street lights and bringing a blanket and chair to stay comfy and warm. An online fluxtimator tool lets users see what meteor shower activity will be like in their area.
There is a good chance it will be cloudy Saturday night, according to KSL meteorologists, but the clouds may dissipate during the early morning hours. A waning gibbous moon will rise around midnight.
“The bright moonlight will wash out the fainter meteors, but the good news is that the Geminids can be bright! Start watching the eastern sky late on Dec. 13 because that’s where they will seem to originate,” a blog post by the Clark Planetarium reads. “You don’t need to know the exact radiant point because the meteors of a shower can appear anywhere in the sky — their reverse paths will seem to trace back toward Gemini.”
There will be a special Geminid Night Vision show at the Clark Planetarium Saturday at 6:45 p.m. Tickets cost $2.
