Posted in Alaska
December 03, 2019
One Of The Biggest Meteor Showers Of The Year Will Be Visible In Alaska In December
Take advantage of Alaska’s long days of darkness by checking out one of the biggest meteor showers of the year! Visible all over Alaska, this stunning display of the Geminid Meteor Shower will mesmerize you over two days in the middle of this December. Mark your calendar and make sure to grab your warm gear to spend some time appreciating the night sky!
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
But if you add in an entire array of them, they become absolutely wondrous! The Geminid Meteor Shower is the perfect example of a truly awe inspiring event.
You can see on average 50 meteors per hour, however this meteor shower is actually increasing in frequency and brightness. Jupiter's gravity is pulling the stream of particles closer to Earth, resulting in bigger and faster fireballs for viewing!
This year there is an almost full moon, which may wash out some of the meteors. However since this meteor shower has many incredibly bright shooting stars, you can still expect to see 20-30 visible meteors per hour.
Together with the Quadrantids, which shoots across the sky in January, this shower originates from an asteroid. Both meteor showers are known for their "fireball meteors," large, fast, rolling balls of light that sometimes end with a flash!
Your best bet will be to see them Friday evening, as they end on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. They tend to hit peak brightness at 2:00 a.m., but you will be able to see them as early as 9:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m.
Although rare, it's very possible! Make sure to research the aurora forecast before you choose which day to head out on. You may just get to see both aurora and meteors!
Grab a friend and watch the sky together, facing opposite directions. Yell out "star!" or "meteor!" when you see one flaming across the sky, and double your chances of seeing each and every one!
Have you had the chance to see one of the largest and most impressive meteor showers in past years? What did you think? Are you going to hunt them down this year? Let us know in the comments below!
Learn more about the other amazing winter meteor shower here: There’s An Incredible Meteor Shower Happening This Winter And Alaska Has A Front Row Seat.
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