Geminid Meteor Shower Visible This Month in Greater Danbury

It happens each year around this time, and it's a celestial event like no other.

It's the Geminid meteor shower which will be at its peak the night of December 13 and the morning of December 14. You may also see meteors a few days before and after the peak.

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The Geminid meteor shower is considered by many astronomers to be one of the best meteor showers of the year due to the fact that it tends to produce 150 or more meteors per hour.

Peak viewing times in Greater Danbury for this meteor shower will be starting at dusk on December 13 and into the early morning hours of December 14. If you're lucky enough to get a good dark viewing site, look to the sky because this particular meteor shower always puts on quite a show.

According to planetary.org, the only factor that will come into play during the peak viewing time is the moon will be 78% full and in the sky for a long portion of the evening, so thanks to timeanddate.com we've included this chart to give you an idea of the best times to see the meteor shower.

Geminids meteor shower for New York (Night between December 13 and December 14)
Time	Azimuth/Direction	Altitude
Mon 6:00 pm	48°	3.5°
Mon 7:00 pm	57°	12.4°
Mon 8:00 pm	65°	22.3°
Mon 9:00 pm	73°	32.8°
Mon 10:00 pm	80°	43.9°
Mon 11:00 pm	89°	55.2°
Tue 12:00 midnight	100°	66.5°
Tue 1:00 am	123°	77.1°
Tue 2:00 am	193°	82.1°
Tue 3:00 am	246°	74.4°
Tue 4:00 am	263°	63.4°
Tue 5:00 am	274°	52.1°
Tue 6:00 am	282°	40.8°
Tue 7:00 am	290°	29.9°

WHAT CAUSES THE GEMINIDS METEOR SHOWER?

Unlike some meteor showers which are the products of comets, this meteor shower is caused by debris from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. Its 524-day orbit brings it closer to the sun than any other asteroid in our solar system.

JUST WHAT IS A METEOR SHOWER?

A meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through debris from a comet or asteroid. Two of the most popular meteor showers of the year are the Geminids, which peaks in mid-December, and the Perseids meteor shower, which peaks in mid-August. Both meteor showers always put on a show, but the Geminids meteor shower usually produces more meteors per hour.

WHATS THE BEST WAY TO VIEW A METEOR SHOWER?

Find a spot that's dark enough away from city lights
Give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, usually between 15 to 20 minutes
Know where in the sky will be the best spot to witness the meteors
Dress for viewing. It's usually cold during a December evening, so make sure you have the proper clothing to stay warm enough so you can enjoy some time outside viewing.

Your Guide to Full Moons for September to December 2021

Here is your guide to full moons happening in Connecticut from September through December 2021.

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