Geminids meteor shower 2023: How to watch the peak this week

Geminid meteor shower 2023: The Geminids are set to peak this week. Here is how you can catch a glimpse as nearly 150 comets streak across the sky every hour.

Geminid meteor shower 2023: A man looking at meteors in the sky.

A man looking at meteors in the sky. (Illustrative image) (Raman Deep via Pexels)

The Geminid meteor shower will be active from December 4 to December 14, with its peak happening around the night of December 14. During the entire period, you might be able to sport Geminid meteors whenever the shower’s “radiant point” is above the horizon.

When viewed from New Delhi, the meteor shower will start getting visible around 6.53 PM IST on Thursday, December 14, which is when its radiant points should rise above the eastern horizon, according to In the Sky. The meteor shower should then be visible till dawn breaks around 6.36 AM the next day.

How to view the Geminids meteor shower

At its peak, there might be up to 150 meteors per hour in the sky, according to Time and Date. The Geminid meteor shower gets its name from the Gemini constellation because that is where the meteor shower seems to originate from. Unlike many other celestial events, you don’t really need any special equipment to watch a meteor shower.

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To get the best view of the meteor shower, find a secluded spot away from the bright lights of the city. Once you do that, all you need is a clear sky. Once you reach the location, let your eyes get adjusted to the darkness for about 15 to 20 minutes. You can use an interactive sky map application on your phone to spot the constellation Gemini, where the meteor shower will originate from.

The Geminid Meteor shower

The Geminid meteor shower is caused by the meteor 3200 Phaeton. The Geminid meteor shower and the Quadrantids meteor shower are the only major showers not caused by a comet. When the Earth passes through the dusty trail left behind by the meteor 3200 Phaeton, some of the meteoroids left by the meteor burn up in our planet’s upper atmosphere, appearing to us as the Geminid meteor shower.