GREENSBORO, N.C. — Look up to see something special in the sky this week. We may not be able to get snowflakes this December, but we can always count on one of the best meteor showers of the year. It's easy to see, and the weather looks to cooperate nicely.
"The best meteor shower of the year"
It's one of the most reliable meteor showers every year. The Geminid Meteor Shower happens each year in the middle of December. It gets its name from the constellation Gemini. That's where the meteors appear first in the sky during this shower.
How good is it? You may see headlines floating around the internet that 100-200 meteors are possible each hour. That's not exactly realistic because most of us live in towns and cities. With light pollution, many of those get missed to the naked eye. Still, dozens of meteors are possible each hour.
While some meteor showers can perform differently from year to year, the Geminids are very reliable and always seem to put on a good show. Not only that, but December is often cold. Cold and dry weather typically gives us our clearest, crispest night sky with good visibility if you don't have clouds. That's why many refer to it as the "best meteor shower of the year".
Viewing Tips
There are several things to remember to give yourself the best chance to see some shooting stars. Follow these tips:
- Find a dark place: This is the most important one. The darker sky you're able to find, the better. This may involve driving away from the city into a more rural area. Light pollution robs meteors.
- Look to the darkest part of the sky: Many people try to look straight at Gemini. That's not necessary. Meteors can be seen all over the sky. Look anywhere in the sky that's the darkest for you. The direction away from your nearest city is good.
- Be patient: It takes your eyes time to adjust to the night sky. Give yourself 10-15 minutes to get used to the darkness. Meteors aren't spaced out evenly either, they can happen in bursts.
- Later is better: The best time to see the meteors with this meteor shower is pre-dawn, early morning. If that's too much for you, you can try after 10pm, or better yet after 12am.
Weather Forecast
Our News 2 Weather Team is expecting cold and dry weather at night for the rest of the week. Clouds shouldn't be an issue. It will be very cold, however. Plan on bundling up with your best outerwear with gloves and hats. Temperatures will be in the 30 degree range Wednesday night and upper 20s for Thursday night.