Silhouette of young couple watching Meteor Shower / Shutterstock
One of the most productive meteor showers of the year takes place this December in Vancouver, offering a full night of dazzling shooting stars.
The Geminid meteor shower takes place throughout the night on Dec. 13, and stargazers will be privy to a breathtaking display. While a number of meteor showers are only viewable for a short window of time very late at night or in the early morning, the Geminids offer a rare, full-night viewing opportunity.
The Old Farmers Almanac notes that the meteor shower may be, "seen starting earlier, such as around 9 or 10 p.m., until morning twilight." However, a nearly full moon will obscure some of the meteors.
With that being said, Space.com notes that the Geminids have a great deal of "fireballs," and they will be visible despite the moon. Further, it is considered one of the best annual showers because, "the individual meteors are bright, and they come fast and furious." So, while you may not be able to view hundreds of shooting starts an hour, you should be able to view around 20 to 30.
Nearly 200 years old old, the Geminid Meteor showers offers earthlings a brighter display every year (depending on the moonlight, of course). Space.com notes that this is due to the fact that Jupiter's titanic gravitational pull has brought the stream of particles from the, "shower's source, the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, and closer to Earth over the centuries."
Locals will also be able to catch some of the astral magic in the days leading up to the shower’s peak, as well as in the days right after.
Stargazers should opt to travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.
