The Geminids Meteor Shower Just Might Be The Best Thing To Happen In 2020 In New Mexico
The year 2020 is certainly a year for the books. Contentious, crazy, and chaotic, it can be difficult to remember all the positive events that went down this year. One fantastic thing that you can look forward to before the year ends, however, is the upcoming Geminids meteor shower.
Caused by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, the meteors are bits of debris that burn up when approaching Earth's atmosphere. Astronomers estimate that viewers can see hundreds of meteors per hour.
In 1877, viewers could see an average of 14 meteors per hour. This nearly doubled by 1896 and only continued to grow through the decades. These days, astronomers estimate that during the peak days, people can see upwards of 160 meteors per hour.
According to the website in-the-sky.org, meteors can be seen as early as 6:05 p.m. in New Mexico but will be best viewed around 2 a.m.
The new moon will occur on December 14, so the lack of moonlight will mean you can see even more meteors than you would any other year!
The meteors will appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, which will be high in the sky on the peak shower days. For those not too familiar with the constellation, Gemini sits between the Big Dipper and Orion.
For details about the shower and optimal viewing times in New Mexico, visit in-the-sky.com or earthsky.com.
Trying to figure out the best places to view the meteor shower? You’ll want to find a dark spot with little light pollution. The perfect solution is during a visit to one of New Mexico’s dark places certified by the International Dark-Sky Association. Read about these spots in These Are Some Of The Darkest Places In New Mexico And You’ll Want To Visit.
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