There was a narrow window of just a few hours to catch the rare Geminid meteor shower happening this Saturday morning, SBS reported.
Although the moon phase is likely to limit viewing, stargazers were still be able to watch the meteor shower given a small window of just a few hours. Despite the limited viewing period, the shower is expected to be one of the most exciting astronomical events in Australian skies this year.
Jonti Horner, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland, told SBS that the weekend’s full moon would significantly dampen the meteor event. The best viewing conditions come on “moonless nights out in the countryside.”
Even so, it might be worth seizing the moment and getting away from the city to witness the spectacular celestial event. According to NASA, a Geminid meteor shower occurs when the earth moves through debris produced by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid. It usually produces the most meteors within a short time frame out of any shower in Australian skies. The asteroid 3200 Phaethon orbits the Sun every 1.4 years and mimics the path of a comet but does not have a tail like a comet.
SBS reports that the best viewing time in Adelaide for the Geminid Meteor shower is 4:18am on Saturday.
So despite the non-ideal conditions, the sky will still be lit up by the fascinating astronomical spectacle.
For more information on the meteor shower, click here.
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