Geminid’s meteors are slow with prominent trails which have reliable volumes producing 50 or more meteors per hour, however, this meteor shower is intensifying year by year and there have been recordings of 120 - 160 per hour, specifically over 250 in 2014! Thankfully this year we have a near New moon, so weather permitting this could be a sensational show. The peak time will be high up in the sky, approx 2-3 AM with the radiant point just right of Pollux.

There is the possibility for a stunning portrait styled photograph of the Orion constellation with Geminid’s meteor shower raining down above it.

Image of positions facing SW on December 14th at 02:02

The Geminid’s meteor shower is debris from object 3200 Phaethon which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid. Object 3200 Phaethon is one of only two known meteor showers caused by asteroid orbits, and not a comet, the other being Quadrantids.