Have you heard about the Geminid Meteor Shower? Well, it’s not too late to experience this amazing astrological phenomenon!
The storm peaked on Dec 14th, but it should still be going strong through Dec 15th. If the sky is clear and you don’t have a lot of light pollution, you could see up to 120 meteors per hour streak across the sky!
Photo Credit: Asim Patel – CC License – Wikimedia Commons
Also, there will still be showers throughout Dec 24th, according to EarthSky.org.
So how is this possible?
The truth is… it’s not really known. The shower is likely made up of itty bitty (a very scientific measurement…) meteoroids that come from a large asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. Generally you see these types of showers from comets, which are big balls of ice. As comets pass the earth, the bits of ice break off of the tail and hit our atmosphere.
But asteroids are made up of rock… so what’s breaking off of it to create this amazing show?
Photo Credit: Jason Jenkins – CC License – Wikimedia Commons
Some think it might be sodium from the asteroid, but we all should learn a lot more when the DESTINY+ spaceship from Japan flies by 3200 Phaethon in 2028.
Until then we can just look up at the sky in wonder.
Get out there fam!