How to see the Geminid meteor shower
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The Geminid meteor shower peaks Wednesday night, with bright, dazzling “shooting stars” streaking across the sky.
The celestial event takes place every December, although 2022 offers excellent viewing conditions across most of the UK.
It is unusual because it is caused by debris left by an asteroid. As Earth moves through this debris trail, the pieces collide with our atmosphere and light up as they do so, appearing as stars streaked across the sky.
Typically, up to 150 meteors can be seen per hour in the show, making it one of the best times of the year to actually spot a meteor.
This year, the Moon’s brightness will have a slightly waning effect, with NASA predicting 30 to 40 meteors per hour.
Forecasts from the UK Met Office suggest ideal weather conditions for Wednesday night, with clear skies across most of the UK.
key points
Show latest update 1671066842
Photographs of Gemini appear on Twitter
Graeme Massie15 December 2022 01:14
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How to watch the Geminid meteor shower
Graeme Massie December 14, 2022 10:04 p.m
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Best time to see the Geminid 2022 meteor shower in the UK
Most of the UK and Ireland currently have remarkably good weather for viewing the Geminid meteor shower tonight, according to the latest forecasts from the Met Office.
This is what the weather map currently looks like:
(Met Office)
For anyone on the South Coast or East Anglia, don’t miss out. The sky clears as the night progresses, with the best views offered in the early hours. Likewise, anyone in Ireland better get out now to see the shower as they may not have much more time to do so,
This is the current forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology for 5:00:
(Met Office)
Anthony Cuthbertson December 14, 2022 8:10 pm
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How to capture the 2022 Geminid meteor shower
Professional photographers have given their tips for capturing the Geminid meteor shower, and all say some sort of tripod to hold your camera is essential.
It’s also worth using a tripod to take photos with a smartphone, as any camera shake can compromise the quality of the images, but if you don’t have one handy, you can simply place the phone on a window edge
Arguably, the best technique is to use a timelapse function on your camera or smartphone, although for anyone without these capabilities, there are other methods that can help capture shooting stars.
(Getty Images)
David Reneke, an astronomer and writer for the Australian Science Magazine, advises anyone using an SLR or DSLR camera to play around with the camera’s aperture settings for photographing the night sky.
The burst setting can also capture multiple photos at once.
For older smartphones that use digital zoom instead of optical zoom, it’s generally best not to use zoom as it could compromise image quality. Instead, take the photo and then crop it.
Newer phones come with incredible zoom capabilities that can take detailed photos of distant objects. Other cameras include special features to enhance images of the night sky, such as Google Pixel’s Astro mode.
Anthony Cuthbertson December 14, 2022 7:30 pm
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The weather forecast suggests clear skies for most of the UK
The weather could hardly be better for a December evening, with the UK Met Office forecasting clear skies for most of the country this evening.
Apart from parts of Cornwall and Devon, people in England and Wales should be able to expect a good show once the sun goes down. Unfortunately, conditions in north-east Scotland and Northern Ireland do not look ideal.
Here’s what the weather will look like at 22:00 GMT tonight, according to the latest forecast from the Met Office:
(UK Met Office)
Anthony Cuthbertson December 14, 2022 3:02 p.m
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The rain is at its peak and there are only a couple of days left
The true peak of the meteor shower is December 14th. There is still time to see it, but not long. The last chance is December 17th, although there won’t be much to see then.
Andrew Griffin December 14, 2022 12:34 p.m
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The NASA image shows the Geminids at their peak
This image, taken in 2014, shows what a good Gemini night looks like. More than 100 meteors can be seen in the composite image.
More than 100 meteors are recorded in this composite image taken during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower in 2014
(Jacobs Space Exploration Group/ESSCA)
Andrew Griffin December 14, 2022 12:33 pm
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Hello and welcome…
… on The Independent’s coverage of the Geminid meteor shower.
Andrew Griffin December 14, 2022 12:22 pm