The final major meteor shower of the year will peak this weekend as the Geminids streak across the night sky.
According to experts, the Geminids were first observed in the mid 1800’s and stem from an asteroid, not a comet like the Perseids in the summer. The meteor shower is named after the Gemini constellation and will be at its best Saturday evening.
40 to 50 “falling stars” per hour are expected to streak across the sky tonight and upwards of 100 meteors per hour may be visible late Saturday night and into the early morning hours of Sunday. Experts at NASA estimate the meteors, which will be yellow in colour, will be falling at a speed of up to 33.8 kilometers per second.
Unlike last year, the moonlight will be less intense this year making for better viewing. Environment Canada’s forecast for southern Saskatchewan is indicating Saturday’s evening sky will be clear, but reminds amateur Astronomers to dress warm for the show. Temperatures are expected to drop to -30 with a -40 windchill tonight and -22 for Saturday night/Sunday morning.
As with any celestial event, observers are reminded to get away from urban lights and find a place with very little light to get a significantly better view of the meteor shower.
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