One Of The Biggest Meteor Showers Of The Year Will Be Visible In Utah In December
When you think of impressive meteor showers, you probably think of the Perseid meteor shower, which is the most well-known because it peaks during August – the prime time to snuggle under the stars. We love to view the Perseids, but they’re just one of many meteor showers that occur all throughout the year, and one of the biggest is active from December 4th through the 17th of 2019.
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Every December, the Geminids are visible in the northern hemisphere, and they're the strongest meteor shower of the year.
Utah is a uniquely incredible place to view the Geminids, because it has the highest concentration of International Dark Sky Parks and Communities of any place in the world!
Dark Sky Parks get their designation due to their low light pollution. Many of our national and state parks are located in remote places far from cities, so you can see millions more stars - and meteors!
If you can visit one of Utah's International Dark Sky Parks, you'll get an excellent view of the Geminids, but even if you're in a more populated place, you should still get a pretty good look at these bright meteors.
Find your favorite stargazing spot and snuggle in for awhile. You can see meteors as early as 9 p.m., but they'll be at their greatest numbers around 2 a.m., and it's well worth the wait.
This year's Geminid meteor shower will be a bit less visible than other years, because the moon will be just past its full-moon phase, at 96%, but it's still an impressive show in the heavens!
Learn more about this meteor shower, and others happening this year on the American Meteor Society’s website. Do you plan to view this incredible meteor shower over the next week or so? Tag the people that you’d like to stay up late with to view it!
Utah has fifteen International Dark Sky Parks and Communities, and Canyonlands is one of our favorites. See more information about it here.
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
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