Posted in South Carolina Natural Wonders, Nature December 11, 2019 by

The South Carolina Sky Will Light Up With Shooting Stars And A Nearly Full Moon This Week During The Geminid Meteor Shower

Santa isn’t the only thing expected to fly through the skies over South Carolina this December. This week marks the peak of a meteor shower that lasts for many days. The Geminid Meteor Shower is the most prolific of the season and is expected to produce up to 120 meteors per hour this Friday night.

It's an event that happens every December as the skies in the vicinity of the constellation Gemini light up with 'shooting stars' galore.
Flickr/Kevin
The best part is the meteors in the Geminid Meteor Shower typically move so slowly (at a rate of approximately 22 miles per hour) that it's easy to spot them and even take photos.
Flickr/Ya-Ko
However, the best places to do so, unless you have special equipment, are in places where there is little light pollution.
Jordan Lye / Moment Collection via Getty Images
Many locales along the South Carolina coast are ideal for heading to the beach to watch this winter meteor show. But if your own backyard isn't riddled with ambient artificial light from other houses or street lights, then you should be able to see it from there as well.
Flickr/Alistair Nicol
Relatively any place you can find that is void of artificial light should be ideal.
Flickr/NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center - Bill Ingalls
Even though the moon will be phasing out of a full moon expected on Thursday night, Friday's Geminid Meteor Shower should be easy to spot.
Paula Danner / EyeEm Collection via Getty Images
Just look up at the skies in the direction of Northwest/West beginning at 9 p.m. on December 13th. If you can stay up late, the peak should take place around 2 a.m.
bgblue / DigitalVision Vectors Collection via Getty Images

The Geminid Meteor Shower is one of only two major meteor showers that don’t originate from a comet. Instead, Geminid’s bright shooting stars (they’re not stars, of course…) are believed to originate from an object known as 3200 Phaethon that astronomers believe to be a Palladian asteroid. In the very best of viewing conditions, Geminid meteors can number nearly 200 per hour.

Set a reminder on your phone now so you won’t miss the opportunity to see this spectacular sky show this weekend. Meteors are actually visible for days before and after the peak, so if the night sky is expected to be cloudy on the 13th you can get an early start and be on the lookout for a few days before and after the peak.

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