The Geminids are the most active meteor shower of the year, with at times, over 200 meteors per hour streaming across the sky. Most meteor showers come from icy comets—but not the Geminids! Their parent is the oddball asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which zips around the Sun every 1.4 years. With its super-elliptical orbit, Phaethon acts a bit like a comet, leading scientists to wonder if it’s a “dead comet” or even a new kind of “rock comet.” But it never grows a tail, looks like a plain rocky asteroid, and sheds much denser debris than typical comet dust.
Discovered in 1983, Phaethon is tiny—just 3.17 miles across—and named after the mythic son who drove the Sun-god’s chariot. Astronomer Fred Whipple later revealed its secret: this quirky little rock is the source of the spectacular Geminid meteor shower.
According to NASA, the Geminids first began appearing in the mid-1800s. However, the first showers were not noteworthy, with only 10 to 20 meteors seen per hour. Throughout the years, this meteor shower has grown, and under the best conditions, up to 120 meteors can be seen per hour. The Geminids are special too, as they can often be seen throughout the night equally.
This year, the moon offers good visibility since it is a Waning Crescent and shrinking more as we approach the New Moon on December 19. So if the weather conditions don't allow for the best visibility tonight or Sunday night, no worries, you still have a few nights with good chances as the weather could improve, and the moon will not be an issue.
Florida's forecast:
Saturday night has been partly cloudy, with fog building over much of the state. But a cold front will push through on Sunday, sweeping away all the humidity and clouds. If you are heading out to look for stars, it will still be possible; you might not see them at their peak, but you will likely catch a few flying across the sky if you look up. You will have to bundle up! Sunday night will be the coldest across North Florida and the Panhandle, with lows that, with the winds, could feel as low as the low to mid 20s across the region. In Central Florida, lows will range from the mid-30s to the low-40s on Sunday night and Monday night. At the same time, South Florida's coldest night will be Monday night into Tuesday morning. Lows will be in the low 60s across metro areas in the southeast, while interior portions could drop into the upper 50s.
Here are some tips for the best visibility:
- Find an area well away from city or street lights.
- Lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.
- After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt, and you will begin to see meteors.
- The show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.