The colorful and slow-moving meteors of the Geminids, caused by asteroid debris, will be visible across much of North America starting around sunset on Saturday.
The annual Geminid Meteor shower will be at its finest on the night of December 13 into the morning of the 14th.
According to the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the maximum peak of possibly seeing 120 meteors per hour is predicted to occur around 3 a.m. Eastern on the morning of the 14.
“A 23 per cent waning crescent moon will rise late into the morning hours, so no big interference this year. This is a weekend event. If cloudy Saturday night, it is still visible on Sunday night, but the numbers will be reduced,” explains The Backyard Astronomer Gary Boyle.
In North Bay, the weather is expected to be clear with cloudy periods.
“These are slow-moving colourful meteors generated by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon and will be memorable to witness as they burn up in the atmosphere, appearing in different directions of the sky,” says Boyle. “Some very bright fireballs could also be seen. Start looking around 7 p.m. local time, but as the night moves on and the constellation Gemini rises higher over the next few hours, more meteors will be seen.”
The brilliant planet Jupiter is up in the northeast around 7 p.m. and out all night long along with the bright winter stars of Orion – the Hunter.
“Best to travel out of town to darker, wide-open skies to fully enjoy the show,” advises Boyle.