Meteors light up the night sky this weekend

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Geminid Meteor Shower peaks this weekend on the night of Saturday, Dec. 13, into the morning of Sunday, Dec. 14. Under dark skies, 60-plus meteors per hour are possible, and under perfect conditions, NASA says there is the chance to see up to 120 meteors per hour.

All of Alaska has prime viewing opportunities, weather permitting, of course.

The best way to view the Geminid Meteor Shower is to get away from lights and give your eyes time to adjust. The meteors will appear to radiate from the Gemini constellation in the eastern sky. It isn’t necessary to look toward Gemini, but earlier in the evening, that might be the best way to see them. The moon, though it’s in its final quarter, can still be a bright object in the sky, so try to put the moon out of your line of sight.

And for Alaskans, dress for the weather and for many, that will mean dressing warmly and safely for being out in the elements for an extended period of time.

The peak of the meteors is expected closer to 2 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Meteors from a unique source

The Geminid Meteor Shower is unique because it’s created by the passage of an asteroid, while most meteor showers are created by the dust and rocks of comets. Though the Geminids first appeared in the mid-1800s, Asteroid 3200 Phaethon was discovered in 1983 by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, according to NASA.

Asteroids are remnants of the formation of the solar system and are mainly located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are small objects made of rock and metals and orbit the sun much like planets.

Comets are made of ice, dust and rock. When they get close to the sun, the heat vaporizes the frozen core of the comet, which loosens dust. The solar wind blows the dust and gases away from the sun, creating a long tail.

According to NASA, Asteroid 3200 Phaethon takes 1.4 years to orbit the Sun. NASA says, “It is possible that Phaethon is a ‘dead comet’ or a new kind of object being discussed by astronomers called a ‘rock comet.’ Phaethon’s comet-like, highly elliptical orbit around the Sun gives credence to this hypothesis. However, scientists are not certain how to define Phaethon.”

The American Meteor Society collects information about meteors that you might spot. Check out this article on the Geminids for more information on how you can add to the overall knowledge of this meteor event.

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