One Of The Best Meteor Showers Of 2022 Will Peak This Month & Here's How To Watch In Canada
You can see tons of dazzling shooting stars! 💫✨
Meteors in the night sky.
Turn your eyes towards the skies, as a brilliant meteor shower will peak this month, delivering a dazzling display visible in Canada.
The Geminids meteor shower, which is considered to be one of the best annual meteor showers, will reach its peak in December and you definitely won't want to miss the show.
Geminids are active around the end of November and into late December, reaching their peak this year on December 14, according to NASA.
According to the Farmers' Almanac, many astronomers consider the Geminids to be the best shower of the year — even better than the famous Perseids meteor shower in August.
The Geminids are set to put on a spectacular display, with viewers able to see about 120 meteors per hour.
For comparison, other meteor showers like the Leonids shower can have meteor rates as low as 15 or so per hour. The Orionids meteor shower, at its peak, can produce up to only 20 meteors per hour.
With the Geminids producing 120 meteors per hour, the sky is sure to be filled with dazzling streaks of light in a show you definitely won't want to miss.
The Geminids are said to be bright and fast meteors that are yellow in colour. They're made from fragments of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, unlike other meteors, which originate from passing comets.
How to watch the Geminids meteor shower
The best time to view the Geminids is during the night and pre-dawn hours, says NASA.
For the best way to watch, the space agency says you'll want to lie flat on your back with your feet facing south.
Look up and take in as much of the sky as possible, allowing your eyes to adjust to the dark. After about 30 minutes, you'll begin to see the meteors.
According to NASA, this year the show will start around 9 or 10 p.m., so you don't have to stay up too late to see them. It'll last until dawn, so you'll have plenty of time to catch some shooting stars.
According to The Weather Network, this winter will be host to tons of celestial events, including the Ursids meteor shower, which is set to peak towards the end of the month.
January will also see the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower, which has been called the best meteor shower of winter.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.