JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Spend some time under the stars Sunday to look for a dazzling display of shooting stars. The Geminid meteor shower will peak in one of the most reliable shows of the year.
The peak is expected to generate 120 meteors per hour flying 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.
Recommended Videos
The Geminids start early, so you won’t have to stay up late to watch the heavenly showcase beginning around 9 p.m. and increasing for a couple hours past midnight.
NASA says the best night to see the shower is Dec. 13-14, although fewer may be spotted before and after those dates.
This year’s spectacle coincides with an almost dark new moon, making it easier to spot a shooting star.
Stars don’t fall from the sky; in reality, the Geminids are tiny space rocks from small bits of dusty debris shed by a rocky object named 3200 Phaethon.
As the Earth passes through the trail of dust left behind from 3200 Phaethon, the atmosphere burns up the bits of grit showcasing a flurry of sparks shooting across the sky.
Unfortunately, the forecast could be clouded up by an approaching cold front Sunday night. Regardless, some breaks may open when you should seek the darkest place you can, and give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the dark.
Lie flat on your back, put away your cell phone and look straight up to take in as much as you can of the 2020 Geminid meteor shower.