Geminids Meteor Shower to Peak on Dec. 13-14: South Africans See Bright Lights Quickly Moving Through the Sky

The Geminid meteor shower, which peaks this year in the late evening of Monday, Dec. 13, and the following day, is attracting skywatchers.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Geminids are one of the most remarkable and most consistent meteor showers of the year, capable of producing hundreds of shooting stars every hour at their peak. However, The Planetary Society said light from a 78 percent full moon this year might wipe away some of the spectacular streaks of light left behind by meteors as they fly through the night sky.

The moonlight isn't the only thing that threatens the gloomy sky needed to see the meteors clearly. Light pollution from houses, lamps and other sources on the ground can wash off fainter meteors, obstructing the view.

Expert Says Bright Lights in South African Sky Was Spacecraft Debris, Not a Meteor Shower

Meanwhile, residents from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, turned to social media yesterday to express their confusion after seeing brilliant lights fast traveling over the sky on Saturday night.

Some speculated that it was a meteor shower, while others assumed that it may have been an asteroid, comet, or another piece of space debris passing near to Earth.

One social media user posted a video on Twitter and asked: "Anyone else see the insane meteor shower over Durban? Started filming 5sec in so only caught the tail end. 10+ clear fireballs. Never seen anything like this before. KZN, South Africa. #meteorshower."

Another netizen also saw shooting stars like flying things in the sky near Pietermaritzburg.

Professor Tim Cooper, a meteorite and near-space specialist from the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, told The Mercury Today (via IOL) that it was not a meteor.

Cooper explained the brilliant lights observed yesterday night at 8.30pm local time. He said it was most likely the re-entry of the SL-4 rocket booster (Norad 49923, 2021-119B) from the Roscosmos Soyuz 2.1a rocket that carried the newest cosmonauts to the ISS on Dec. 11.

Where to See Geminid Meteors

Geminid meteors might be seen practically everywhere on the planet, while NASA reports that spectators in the Northern Hemisphere will see more meteors than those in the Southern Hemisphere.

The American Meteor Society said the Geminids are called after the constellation Gemini, which appears to be the source of the meteors. NASA said 3200 Phaethon, a 3.6-mile-wide space rock orbiting the sun whose debris track crosses Earth's orbit every December, leaves pieces of meteors that are fast-moving pieces of dust and debris. When these fragments collide with the atmosphere at 78,000 mph, they burn up and form streaks in the sky.

During the height of the Geminids, an observer may see up to 150 meteors every hour, or about three per minute, under optimal viewing circumstances. However, this figure-known as the zenithal hourly rate by astronomers-assumes that the sky are absolutely black and clear and that Gemini is directly overhead.

According to NASA, spectators will most likely see 30 to 40 Geminids every hour. The New York Times said getting to a place with a great view of the entire night sky is the best method to witness a meteor shower. That would ideally be somewhere dark, away from city lights and traffic. Look for a place with a broad, unobstructed view to increasing your chances of seeing the spectacle.

Meteor showers are quickly visible in bits and pieces, although they are most visible from twilight to dawn on a few days. The Earth's orbit passes through the thickest section of the cosmic stream on those days. Meteor showers can have a wide range of peak times, with some lasting only a few hours and others lasting many nights.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.