Geminids Meteor Shower 2022: Important FactsThe Geminid meteor shower in 2022 will peak on December 14, 2022, at 13 UTC.
The Geminids, which peak during mid-December each year, are regarded to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
The Geminids are bright, fast meteors that are frequently yellow in color. The Geminid meteor shower occurs between November 19 to December 24.
This meteor shower begins at 9 or 10 p.m., so it is considered one of the best opportunities for young viewers.
Predicted peak -
The Geminid meteor shower in 2022 will peak on December 14, 2022, at 13 UTC. Under perfect conditions, 120 Geminid meteors can be seen per hour during its peak.
The Geminids are visible all across the globe due to their nearly 24-hour broad maximum and are best seen during the night and just before dawn.
Geminids Meteor Shower: Important Facts
The Geminids first began to appear in the middle of the 1800s. Since that time, the Geminids have grown to be one of the year's major meteor showers.
Origin of Geminids Meteor Shower - 3200 Phaethon (an asteroid or a possible "rock comet")
Unlike most meteor showers seen on Earth, the Geminids are the product of an asteroid. Geminids originate from an asteroid: 3200 Phaethon.
The Geminid meteor shower is caused by an asteroid known as '3200 Phaethon. It differs from most meteor showers which are caused by comets, not asteroids.
The asteroid Phaethon is a strange blue rock that acts like a comet. The reliable shower produces bright meteors associated with the asteroid Phaethon.
On October 11, 1983, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite discovered 3200 Phaethon. Asteroid 3200 Phaethon takes 1.4 years to orbit the Sun once.
Because of its close approach to the Sun, Phaethon is named after the Greek mythological character who drove the chariot of Sun-god Helios.
Radiant - Constellation GeminiA radiant is a point in the sky from which the meteors appear to come. Gemini, the "Twins," is the constellation from which the Geminids appear to come.
Hence, their radiant, the point in the sky from which the Geminids appear to come, is the constellation Gemini, the "Twins." The name of the meteor shower, Geminids, comes from the constellation of Gemini.
Note - The name of a meteor shower is simply given to help viewers determine which shower they are viewing on a specific night. The constellation is not the source of the meteors.
Geminids are visible throughout the night sky, so you should not look only to the constellation of Gemini to view the Geminids.
Active (Duration of the Geminids Meteor Shower) -November 19 to December 24, 2022 (Peak - 14 December 2022, Wednesday)
Peak Activity Meteor Count -Approximately 120 meteors per hour.Geminids Meteor Velocity -79,000 mph (127,000 kph) or 22 miles per second (35 kilometers per second)
When and where to watch Geminids Meteor Shower -
On the evening of December 13, the moon will illuminate the sky beginning late in the evening. On December 14, the moon will rise a little later. The Geminids tend to be bright.
Try to view Geminids in the moonlight on December 13 and 14. Or, watch earlier in the evening, when Gemini is above the horizon but before the moon rises.
To best see the Geminid meteor shower, go to the darkest possible location, or go to an area far from the city lights or street lights, lean back, and relax. You don't need any special equipment like telescopes.