The Germinids meteor shower is an annual event that will peak tonight, December 13
If last year the birghtness from the supermoon spoiled the show, this year the moon won’t even rise until about 3:30 Thursday morning. This means that everyone will be able to enjoy the view.
Those who are willing to see the natural show can start stargazing any time after dark, even though the best time to watch is between 1 and 2 a.m. when the shower is expected to peak.
Even though the meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky, it is recommended that you look toward the south as it might be the best chance.
Those who live in cities with lots of artificial light are not going to see much of the meteor show, so consider going to a much darker location such as a field in the country or an isolated, unlit beach.
At Geminids’ peak there could be as many as 120 meteors per hour. It is recommended that you give yourself 10-15 minutes to adjust the eyes and then you could see 40 to 50 meteors in half an hour.
“A word about that 120 per hour rate. That’s the zenithal hourly rate, or ZHR, an idealized number based on observing under a pristine, moonless sky with the radiant at the zenith. Depending on the time you observe and local light pollution, counts will vary,” Sky and Telescope’s Bob King said
