What Time is Tonight’s Meteor Shower?

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Astronomers and us regular folk alike will be treated to a real light show tonight as the Geminid meteor shower and a special treat spawned by a comet, delight sky watchers.

If you’re going to look up from that smartphone for just one night, make it Dec. 13 — it’ll be worth it. The Geminid meteor shower, which, according to NASA, is “rich in fireballs,” will be at its peak, with an especially good showing this year because the lack of moonlight that night will make for a perfectly dark display.

Earthsky.org reports viewers can begin to watch the Geminids starting at 9 or 10 p.m. on Thursday. The peak will likely be between 1 to 3 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14. That’s when the shower’s radiant point is highest in the sky as seen around the world.

“With no moon to ruin the show, 2012 presents a most favorable year for watching the grand finale of the meteor showers,” Earthsky reports. “Best viewing of the Geminids will probably be from about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on December 14.”

Tonight’s Geminid meteor shower—one of the year’s two biggest—could bring 100 shooting stars per hour, and that’s just the beginning. Tonight’s sky may actually host two meteor showers, the second spawned by the comet Wirtanen, USA Today reports. That second shower hasn’t yet been named, since it’s not certain whether it will occur. If it does, it could produce 30 meteors per hour, says a NASA expert. Its effects would be visible in the early evening, while the Geminids will come later and stick around until dawn.

During the Geminid shower, “meteors will appear in every part of the sky,” and viewers could see “one or two meteors a minute,” says another expert. In cities and suburbs, the rate may be more like “one every couple of minutes.” Much of the country should have a good view, though the West, Texas, and the Southeast coast may be cloudy, says a meteorologist. The best time to watch is just after twilight, he adds. To get a good view, you’ll want to watch the sky for a while: It takes some 20 minutes for the eye to adjust to the night sky.

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