On the night of December 14, there will be a maximum of the Geminida meteor shower

On the night of December 14, there will be a maximum of the Geminida meteor shower

This week - on the night of 13 to 14 December - you can observe the maximum of a meteor shower called Geminids. This will be the last this year's meteor shower. At the same time, Geminids are among the three largest meteor showers.

The radiant of the Geminid stream is in the constellation Gemini near Castor (the second brightest star of the constellation Gemini, one of the brightest stars in the sky). Presumably, the stream is connected with the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The stream was discovered at the end of the XIX century. At peak activity, about 100 meteors per hour are observed, and in 2011 a burst of up to 200 meteors per hour was recorded.

✔
@NASA
Heads-up, Earthlings! The annual Geminid meteor shower has arrived, peaking overnight Dec. 13-14. It's a good time to bundle up! Then, go outside and let the universe blow your mind! Get the details: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2017/heads-up-earthlings-the-geminids-are-here.html

The meteors of the Geminids are also very bright, and there are also many fireballs. The stream flies not towards the Earth, but catches up with it, therefore the speed of meteors is relatively low (about 35 km / s). This meteor shower can be observed almost anywhere in the world with an unaided eye. This year, a dim, waning moon will be favorable for observing meteors. It remains only to wait for a clear, cloudless night and move away from the city lights.