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The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Wednesday night, with bright dazzling “shooting stars” streaking across the sky. The celestial event happens every December, although 2022 brings excellent viewing conditions to most of the UK. It is unusual in that it is caused by debris left behind by an asteroid. When Earth moves through this debris trail, the pieces crash into our atmosphere and light up as they do, appearing as streaked stars in the sky. Typically, up to 150 meteors per hour can be seen in the show, making it among the best of the year for spotting a meteor. This year, the Moon’s brightness will have a slightly waning effect, with NASA predicting between 30-40 meteors per hour. UK Met Office forecasts suggest ideal weather conditions on Wednesday night, with clear skies in most parts of the UK.
Basic points
Show latest update 1671074307
More stunning pictures of the Geminids have been released
Graeme Massie15 December 2022 03:18 1671069676
More pictures of Gemini were posted by skywatchers
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Gemini photos appear on Twitter
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How to see the Gemini meteor shower
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The best time to see the Geminid Meteor Shower 2022 in the UK
Most of the UK and Ireland currently have remarkably good weather to see the Geminid meteor shower tonight, according to the latest forecasts from the Met Office. Here’s what the weather map looks like right now: (Met Office) For anyone on the south coast or East Anglia, don’t lose heart. Skies will clear as the night progresses, with the best views offered in the early morning 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 Met Office for 5am: (Met Office) Anthony Cuthbertson 14 December 2022 20:10 1671046234
How to capture the Geminid Meteor Shower 2022
Professional photographers gave their tips for capturing the Geminid meteor shower, with everyone saying that some kind of tripod to stabilize the camera is essential. It’s also worth using a tripod for smartphone photography, as any camera shake can compromise the quality of images – but if you don’t have one handy, you can simply rest your phone on a window ledge Arguably the best technique is to use a timelapse function on your camera or smartphone, although for anyone who doesn’t have these capabilities, there are some other methods that can help capture stars. (Getty Images) David Reneke, astronomer and writer for the Australian Science Magazine advises anyone using an SLR or DSLR camera to play with the aperture settings on your camera to photograph the night sky. Burst settings can also take 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 have incredible zoom capabilities that can take detailed photos of distant objects. Other cameras have special features to enhance images of the night sky, such as the Google Pixel’s Astro mode. Anthony Cuthbertson December 14, 2022 7:30 p.m 1671030174
The weather forecast shows clear skies for most of the UK
The weather could hardly be better for a December night, with the UK Met Office forecasting clear skies for most parts of the country this afternoon. Apart from parts of Cornwall and Devon, people in England and Wales should be able to expect a good display once the sun goes down. Unfortunately, conditions in north-east Scotland and Northern Ireland do not look ideal. Here’s what the weather will be like at 22:00 GMT tonight, according to the latest Met Office forecast: (UK Metric Office) Anthony Cuthbertson 14 December 2022 15:02 1671021298
The shower is peaking – and there are only a few days left
The actual peak of the meteor shower is early on December 14th. There’s still some time to see it, though – but not long. The last chance is on December 17th, although there won’t be much to see then. Andrew Griffin December 14, 2022 12:34 p.m 1671021183
The NASA image shows Gemini at its peak
This image, taken in 2014, shows what a good Gemini night looks like. More than 100 meteors are visible in the composite image. Over 100 meteors are captured in this composite image taken during the peak of the 2014 Geminid meteor shower (Jacobs Space Exploration Group/ESSCA) Andrew Griffin December 14, 2022 12:33 p.m 1671020556
Hello and welcome…
… on The Independent’s coverage of the Geminid meteor shower. Andrew Griffin 14 December 2022 12:22
