Up to 150 meteors an hour: Geminid Meteor Shower reaches its peak

The Geminid Meteor Shower is soon to reach its annual peak. It is the most prolific recurring meteor shower of the whole year.

By Thursday evening, the Geminids will once again flit across the night sky. Under favourable viewing conditions, there can be up to 150 shooting stars per hour. Starting its peak on December 14 around 07:30 pm, there is no better time to wish upon a star.

While the peak lasts just an evening, dozens of shooting stars can also be seen every hour on Thursday night and again on Saturday night, at least wherever the weather is favourable. The shower persists until around December 20.

The constellation Gemini, from which the Geminids appear to radiate rises in the evening as darkness falls in the east. Travelling across the southern sky during the night, it slowly descends towards the western horizon in the early hours of the morning.

The associated shooting stars are therefore visible throughout the night. With a new moon on Wednesday, there is fortunately no moonlight to interfere this year. Find a dark area, look up at the sky and be patient.

The Geminids can sweep across the entire field of vision in the night sky, as they spread out from their point of emission in the constellation Gemini in all directions.

The optical effect is similar to the behaviour of snowflakes in the headlights of a moving car: they also appear to spread in all directions from a (radiating) point in front of the windscreen of the vehicle.

Compared to other streams of shooting stars, the Geminids are relatively slow-moving and typically produce many bright fireballs shortly after their maximum.

Viewing conditions across England and Wales for Thursday's peak look ideal, with plenty of clear skies. In Ireland and Scotland, cloud cover and some rain may interrupt the show.