The Geminid meteor shower is called the Quadrant meteor shower in January and the Perseid meteor shower in AugustThe three major periodic meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere, and also the most reliable meteor shower. This year's Geminid meteor shower will be active from December 4 to 17, with a maximum expected to occur at 3 a.m. Beijing time on December 15, and the maximum hourly zenith flow (ZHR) is expected to reach 150, and the evening of the 14th(Tonight).The best time to observe is the next morning.
The constellation Gemini rises over the north-eastern horizon shortly after dark, and the radiant is located near the Gemini constellation North River II. From midnight to dawn, the radiant is located at high altitude and can be observed for more than 10 hours. What's even more rare is that this year's meteor shower coincides with the Momei Moon, and the moonlight has no effect on the observation, which is perfect!
Most meteor showers are comets, but the Geminid meteor shower is not, and it is caused by a stony asteroid called Phaethon (number 3200). Phaethon is not an ordinary asteroid, but a near-Earth asteroid. Most asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter, but there are always some "naughty molecules" that will "cross the line" and run near the Earth, or even go deep into the Earth's orbit, such asteroids are collectively called near-Earth asteroids.
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon is an Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid whose orbit passes through Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The Earth approaches its orbit around December 14 every year, encountering scattered material, rubbing against the atmosphere to produce light trails, lighting up the winter night sky and gifting the romantic and grand Geminid meteor shower to the world.
Thursday, December 14, 2023, 19:00
Together with Geo-kun.
Go to Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xinjiang and other places.
See the Geminid meteor shower from multiple spots.
Let's go to the last sky feast of 2023.
Click the card below
Make an appointment for the live broadcast of National Geographic China**
Furthermore. Tonight will be on Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, and Station B.
Simultaneous live broadcast on all platforms
We're not going to see you anymore
Source**: Beijing Planetarium, Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory.