A meteor burns up in the sky over al-Abrak desert north of Kuwait City during the annual Geminid meteor shower early on 15 December, 2023. Photo: AFP / Yasser Al-Zayyat
A meteor shower that's usually considered one of the best of the year will peak this weekend.
Generally, the Northern Hemisphere is considered to be the prime viewing location for the Geminids meteor shower, with about 100 meteors per hour, but you can still catch a glimpse of it in the Southern Hemisphere too.
Moreover, astronomer Ian Griffin says the issue this year for everyone will be a full Moon which will greatly reduce the number of meteors visible.
"So that means that the sky is going to be very bright. While we'll still see the brighter meteors, the fainter ones from the shower will be washed out by the bright moonlight," Dr Griffin says.
"This is the last quite significant meteor shower that we see over the course of the year."
What is this meteor shower?
"The reason we have a meteor shower this time of year is because the Earth is crossing the path of a dusty asteroid called [3200] Phaethon, and as the asteroid goes around the sun, it leaves a trail of dust," Dr Griffin says.
From about 5 to 18 December, the Earth passes through this trail of dust, which appears to come from the direction of the constellation Gemini.
The streaks of light are created as small rocks burn up at high speed on impact with our planet's atmosphere.
It happens about the same time every year, when Earth comes around in its orbit and passes through the debris again, but the peak times can vary slightly.
Is it still worth looking out for?
The constellation of Gemini - where the meteor shower appears to come from - is prominent in the winter skies of the Northern Hemisphere, hence why it's considered to be better viewing from there.
But it will streak out from this area in all directions.
"Because we're in the Southern Hemisphere and Gemini's quite low, we don't see those numbers [of about 100 meteors per hour]. So normally in a good year, you might see as many as 20 to maybe 30 meteors an hour [in New Zealand]. This year, because the Moon is so bright, we'll see a few less than that," he says.
If you've not seen a meteor shower before, it's still worth sacrificing a few hours' sleep and cooler temperatures for this sight, Dr Griffin says.
As for the pro sky watchers, you might be a bit disappointed this year.
"Don't expect to see hundreds of meteors an hour. [There might be about] maybe 10 to 20 [per hour] and that's really because of the bright moonlight this year."
Dr Ian Griffin Photo: Supplied
Where and when can I watch the Geminid meteor shower?
The best time is when the Moon is lower in the sky. Dr Griffin says keeping an eye out from midnight and in the hours before dawn is key for meteor shower spotters.
The peak will be the evenings of Friday to Sunday. MetService has provided a chart on what the visibility of the night sky will be like in each of the main centres throughout.
For midnight to dawn on 14 December, the cloudiest spots will be in the west, while places east of mountain ranges look to be the clearest spots, such as Hawke's Bay, Tai Rāwhiti/Gisborne, coastal Marlborough, Nelson, Bay of Plenty, and eastern Coromandel Peninsula.
A MetService chart of sky conditions between 13-15 December 2024. Photo: Supplied
How to watch a meteor shower
Dr Griffin says the great thing with this meteor shower is you won't need binoculars or a telescope, simply grab a deck chair, some warm blankets and wait for the magic to happen.
"So you can sit down, face your deck chair probably looking north in the sky and try and find somewhere with a good clear view to the northern horizon, and you might see a few meteors over the course of the night.
"But normally when the sky is dark [and you're looking for meteor showers], you definitely want to get outside, find a really dark spot and then give yourself maybe 10 or 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. That's not quite such a consideration this year simply because the Moon is so bright.
"So pretty much anybody anywhere, even if you're in the city, [you] will be able to see the brighter meteors."
