A big show is coming to Wisconsin, and the tickets are free. The Geminid Meteor Shower is set up to light up the Wisconsin night sky with scores of meteors. It’s a spectacular display and one of the best Wisconsin meteor showers. If you'd like to know where to see a meteor shower in Wisconsin best viewed at a dark sky park. That's where you'll find the darkest skies in Wisconsin. Don’t miss the show – here’s what you need to know to see this year’s Geminid Meteor Shower.
Unlike most meteor showers, which originate from comets, the Geminid meteor shower originates from a large asteroid. It’s called 3200 Phaethon, it’s over 3.5 miles in diameter, and it travels at about 45,000 miles per hour.
The Geminid Meteor Shower arrives each December, with the peak this year expected on Dec. 14 and 15. The northern hemisphere is expected to have the best views. Hope for clear skies!
To see the most meteors, you’ll want to put on a pot of coffee and set an alarm clock – the best time to view the shower is usually between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.
If you’re a little slow-moving during that time of day, you’ll have company. The meteors are slow-moving, too!
The shower was first observed in 1862, and each year it becomes a little more intense, so this could be the best year yet. Expect between 120 and 160 meteors per hour during the shower’s peak.
You don’t need any special equipment to see the spectacle – just look up and enjoy the show!
However, it will help to view the meteor shower from a spot with little to no light pollution. Give your eyes 30 minutes with no lights (including your phone screen) to allow them to adjust to the dark, which will help you spy more "shooting stars."
Take a look at last year’s meteor shower:
Learn more about the Geminid Meteor Shower and more upcoming celestial displays on the American Meteor Society website. If you miss this year’s show, there’s more beauty to be discovered right here on earth – here are some places in Wisconsin that are better than anywhere else in the country.
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