The Geminid meteor shower of 2023 has arrived, and it looks to be one of the best celestial fireworks displays of the year.
Thanks to a two-day dark new moon and generally favorable weather conditions across the United States, Thursday (December 14) looks to be another great night to catch the peak of this annual meteor shower. Indeed, the overnight peak on Wednesday (December 13) provided a show for meteorite hunters around the world. Sky watchers in areas with fairly dark skies could see up to 100 meteors per hour this year. According to SpaceWeather.com.
If you can’t brave the cold December night or don’t have clear skies, you can still watch the Geminid meteor shower tonight thanks to a free live online broadcast hosted by the Slooh Telescope Network and the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome, Italy.
Related: Meteor shower 2023: When is the next?
SLO robotic telescopes
The Slooh Automated Telescope Network is hosting a free live stream of the Geminid meteor shower Starts at 5:30pm EST (2230 GMT) on Thursday (December 14).
slow It operates a network of telescopes in Chile and the Canary Islands. The organization hosts live online broadcasts like this one and also allows users to rent time on their telescopes.
Virtual telescope project
The virtual telescope project is led by astronomer Gianluca Masi. Tonight (December 13), Massey will host a live broadcast of the Geminid meteor shower Starting at 6pm EST (2300 GMT) on Thursday (December 14).
“This year, the moon will be new, so it will not be visible in the sky, providing the best and darkest conditions for an unforgettable experience. We can expect about 100 meteors per hour,” Massey wrote. Project website.
The Geminid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Orion, which is the area in the sky from which meteors appear to shoot (also called the radiant). The Geminids are noteworthy because, unlike other meteor showers, they do not consist of cometary debris but of the remains of 3200 Phaethon, an Earth-crossing Apollo asteroid that has an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid.
If you want to take some photographs of your own of the Geminid meteors or any other meteor shower, be sure to check out our How to Photograph Meteors and Meteor Showers guide. And if you need photography equipment for the next big celestial spectacle, consider our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you captured a great photo of the Geminid meteor shower and want to share it with Space.com and our news partners for a story or photo gallery, send photos and comments to [email protected].
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