The Geminids is a major meteor shower with good activity prior to midnight; the constellation of Gemini is well placed for viewing from 10:00 PM till dawn. Geminid meteors can be bright and intensely colored, but due to their medium-slow velocity rarely they leave persistent trains. The Geminids can be seen in the southern hemisphere, but only during the middle of the night, and at a reduced rate to viewers in the northern hemisphere.
Geminids Meteor Shower Radiant. Credit: Stellarium / Bob Trembley.Peak: December 13-14
Active from: December 4th to December 16th
Radiant: 07:28 +32.2° (see image above)
Hourly Rate: 120
Velocity: 22 miles/sec (medium – 35km/sec)
Parent Object: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon (1983 TB)
Source: American Meteor Society
The Moon is a waning crescent on this day, rising with the dawn; it should not hinder the viewing of this meteor shower.
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon is classified as an Apollo-type Near-Earth Object (NEO), and a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA). Phaethon approaches the Sun closer than any other named asteroid, with a perihelion of 0.14 AU (13.0 million mi)
Orbit of Asteroid 3200 Phaethon:
Orbit of 3200 Phaethon. Credit: JPL Small-Body Database Browser / Bob Trembley