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THE BIGGEST meteor shower of 2020 will flood the sky next week.
Avid star watchers should note December 13 in their journals for the Geminid meteor shower.
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Geminids can produce 150 multicolored meteors per hour.
There are a lot of shooting stars to wish for.
The rain will reach its maximum splendor on the evening of December 13th and will shine until the early hours of December 14th.
Meteors can appear yellow, blue, red, and even green.
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How to watch the Geminid meteor shower from the UK
Meteor hunting can be a bit of a waiting game, but Geminid meteors are great because they tend to move slowly across the sky.
You should go to a place with minimal light pollution to have the best chance of seeing some.
You should be able to spot the Geminids with your eyes, but a telescope or binoculars to zoom in on the Gemini constellation can help.
Meteors appear to radiate from the bright star Castor within the constellation, it is one of the brightest stars in the sky.
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If it’s cloudy on December 13th you can always try looking again the next night.
The shower technically lasts between December 4th and 17th.
Star observers in the northern hemisphere should have a better view, although the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere will still be able to spot them.
It is often referred to as the king of meteor showers because it is one of the best shows of the year.
Meteor shower occurs every year in mid-December without fail, so it’s a staple in the calendar of passionate astronomers.
The flying space rocks actually come from a mysterious and crumbling 19,000-foot asteroid called 3200 Phaethon.
As the asteroid crosses the Earth, its debris disperses into space.
So we spot it as bright flashes every December.
Rock debris burns in the Earth’s atmosphere at a rate of approximately 80,000 miles per hour.
We call this fiery vaporization a shooting star.
The Sun’s best tips for amateur astronomers
Here is a simple guide to get you started …
- Go somewhere high
- Avoid light pollution
- Bring your binoculars
- Wrap it warm and bring a snack
- Sit in the dark for at least half an hour to let your eyes adjust
- A guide to locating the stars and a compass can help you find a particular constellation or star
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Will you be watching the meteor shower next week? Let us know in the comments …
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