Only in Your State | New Mexico |November 24, 2020 | Monica Spencer
The year 2020 is certainly a year for the books. Contentious, crazy, and chaotic, it can be difficult to remember all the positive events that went down this year. One fantastic thing that you can look forward to before the year ends, however, is the upcoming Geminids meteor shower.
The Geminids meteor shower is an annual astronomical event that is considered to be one of the most dramatic showers each year.
Caused by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, the meteors are bits of debris that burn up when approaching Earth’s atmosphere. Astronomers estimate that viewers can see hundreds of meteors per hour.
The showers were first observed in 1862, becoming more apparent the following decade.
In 1877, viewers could see an average of 14 meteors per hour. This nearly doubled by 1896 and only continued to grow through the decades. These days, astronomers estimate that during the peak days, people can see upwards of 160 meteors per hour.This year, the Geminids will begin December 4 and peak on December 14 before slowly disappearing over the next few days.
According to the website in-the-sky.org, meteors can be seen as early as 6:05 p.m. in New Mexico but will be best viewed around 2 a.m.
Another reason you’ll want to make plans to view the meteor shower this year is because the new moon will take place right around the peak dates.
The new moon will occur on December 14, so the lack of moonlight will mean you can see even more meteors than you would any other year!
Where can you look for the meteor shower?
The meteors will appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, which will be high in the sky on the peak shower days. For those not too familiar with the constellation, Gemini sits between the Big Dipper and Orion.
