One of the best and most reliable meteor showers will be appearing in Utah during the early morning hours of Dec. 14.
NASA reported that though the “gorgeously green” Geminids meteor shower will be active throughout most of the month, its peak will be on late Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning.
Is there a meteor shower tonight?
The Geminids meteor shower passing over Utah has been active since Nov. 19 and will be active until Dec. 24, with its peak on Dec. 14.
Bill Cooke, the lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said, “Most meteors appear to be colorless or white, however the Geminids appear with a greenish hue. They’re pretty meteors!”
Geminids first began to appear in the mid-1800s but were not nearly as “noteworthy with only 10 to 20 meteors seen per hour.”
This meteor shower is set to have up to 150 meteors per hour during its peak.
What time and place is best to watch the meteor shower Wednesday night?
The annual Geminids can reportedly be seen starting around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. MST, which makes this natural light show “one of the best opportunities for young viewers.”
There reportedly isn’t a bad place to watch the meteor shower from, but maximum viewing opportunities are in areas where there is little light pollution.
There will reportedly be minimal moonlight to interfere with tonight’s meteor shower.
“To view the Geminids, find an area well away from the city lights or street lights. Come prepared for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,” NASA directed for those interested in watching the meteor shower. “After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”