The three stars in the hunter’s “belt” make it easy to spot. Then, slightly above and to the left of Orion, seek for Gemini, which is high in the southwest sky. Gemini will appear to the lower right of Orion in the Southern Hemisphere, and both will be visible in the northwest sky.
In This Article...
In December, where is Gemini?
This week, keep an eye out for the Geminid meteor shower. On December evenings, meteors erupt around the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini in the east, peaking around 2 a.m. local time (time on your clock for all parts of the globe).
I’m looking for Geminid meteors in whatever direction.
Every year in December, the Geminids meteor shower occurs. Dec. 13 into the early hours of Dec. 14 is the ideal night to witness the shower. A stream of debris left by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon causes the Geminid meteor shower. The Geminid meteor shower occurs in December as the Earth travels through the dust trails left by 3200 Phaethon, when the particles (meteoroids) burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating meteors. Geminids fly at 78,000 mph through Earth’s atmosphere before exploding well above the surface.
If the sky is clear, move away from bright lights, lie down, and look up to see the Geminids. Allow your eyes to acclimate to the darkness; this will allow you to see more meteors. Meteors can be seen all across the sky, so don’t focus your gaze in one direction. Because the shower falls on the same night as a full (super) moon this year, observing it will be more challenging. Try to trace a meteor backwards if you spot one. There’s a strong probability you’ve seen a Geminid if you find yourself in the constellation Gemini.
The Geminid meteor shower can be observed by most of the world in good weather and dark skies, while it is best visible by watchers in the northern hemisphere. The bright moon this year will wash out all but the brightest Geminids, drastically limiting the rate at which you can view them. At the peak of the shower in the northern hemisphere, you can expect to see one Geminid every few minutes under dark sky. Because the Geminid radiant does not rise very high above the horizon in the southern hemisphere, observers will see fewer Geminids than their northern counterparts. The usual peak will be missed by much of North America, but because the Geminid activity is so widespread, decent rates will be observed between 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 and daybreak local time on Dec. 14. On Dec. 14, the most meteors should be visible around 2:00 a.m. local time.
Engineers and scientists from NASA’s Meteor Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will answer questions about the Geminids at a Reddit Ask Me Anything session at 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET.
If you live in a cloudy region, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will livestream footage of the shower starting at 8 p.m. on Dec. 13 until 6 a.m. on Dec. 14 on Marshall’s Ustream account (pending clear skies here). Geminid meteors can also be seen on NASA’s All Sky Fireball network page. For information on meteor showers and fireballs throughout the year, like NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office on Facebook.
In which direction should I gaze to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower?
On Monday night and early Tuesday morning, Earth will pass through the debris trail of a shattered comet. It’s possible that a new meteor shower will form as a result.
Night sky viewers in North America have the best chance of viewing the tau Herculid shower, with NASA recommended looking up around 1 a.m. on the East Coast and 10 p.m. on the West Coast. There will be no moonlight to conceal the meteors because the moon is young.
When is the best time to observe tonight’s meteor shower?
Fortunately for Americans, the shower is more noticeable in the Northern Hemisphere. It does, however, necessitate staying up late and having a clear view of the sky.
Showers are most evident at 2 a.m. local time, but they can appear as early as 9 p.m. It is visible till just before sunrise.
If staying up late every night just to view the shower isn’t your thing, you might choose to wait until the peak. From Aug. 11 to 13, the night sky will be filled with up to 100 meteors per hour.
The moon’s illumination made it difficult for many to see the showers last year. This year will be better because the moon is waxing crescent and will be during the peak period, which means there won’t be as much light to compete with the meteors.
Where in the sky is Gemini?
Most people only see two bright stars in the constellation Gemini Castor and Pollux, also known as the Gemini twins. These two celebrities aren’t identical twins. The hue of Pollux is brighter and more golden. Castor is a tad lighter and whiter. However, both stars are bright, and their proximity on the sky’s dome makes them stand out. People have imagined they looked like brother stars since the dawn of mankind.
Best viewing for this constellation
The months of January, February, and March are ideal for stargazing. At nightfall, Gemini is high in the east. Gemini reaches its peak point in the sky about 10 p.m. local time in early February. Around 9 p.m. in late February, the constellation is at its brightest. That is local time, or the time on your clock, regardless of where you are on the planet.
Until approximately May, Gemini is visible in the evening sky. Gemini lies low in the west at nightfall by late May and early June, and Gemini’s two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux, vanish into the sunset before the June 21 summer solstice. From roughly June 21 to July 20, the sun passes in front of Gemini once a year.
Myths and lore
Castor and Pollux were the offspring of a mortal mother, Leda, according to legend. Castor, the human son of Tyndareus, and Pollux, the immortal son of Zeus, were brothers. Castor and Pollux were joyously connected in soul, but their lives were torn apart by circumstance. When Castor was killed in battle, Pollux was heartbroken and implored Zeus to free him from his immortality chains. Pollux and Castor are reunited in the sky to this day, a testament to the redeeming power of sibling love, as Zeus accepted his request.
As a result, the Greek tale of Castor and Pollux explores the inherited duality of life, the eternal intertwining of death and immortality.
Here’s how to find Gemini from constellation Orion
If you look into the night sky in February, there’s a strong chance you’ll see the constellation Orion the Hunter. Orion is high in the south on February evenings in the Northern Hemisphere.
The Belt stars of Orion are a short, straight row of three medium-bright stars. Rigel, an extremely bright blue-white star, may be found below Orion’s Belt. Do you see it? Look above Orion’s Belt for Betelgeuse, a reddish star. Do you see what I mean? Castor and Pollux can be found by drawing an imaginary line from Rigel through Betelgeuse. Keep in mind that you’ll want to look for two bright stars that are obviously close together.
Here’s how to find constellation Gemini using the Big Dipper
The Big Dipper is an asterism, or a pattern of stars in the shape of a dipper. It is not a genuine constellation. On the sky’s dome, the Big Dipper is always pointed northward. Draw an imaginary line from the star Megrez to the star Merak diagonally through the bowl of the Big Dipper. You’re heading in the opposite direction of the Big Dipper’s handle. Castor and Pollux will be indicated by this line.
You can also use the moon to find Gemini.
Every month, the moon swings full circle through the zodiac constellations, passing through Gemini for a few days. Check EarthSky Tonight for posts showing the moon near Castor and Pollux on specific days, especially in the months of January, February, and March. The next time it happens will be on April 18 and 19, 2021.
Play around with Stellarium, an online planetarium application. It can tell you when the moon is in Gemini each month (except during those months when Gemini is behind the sun).
Spotting Sirius when Gemini is high in the sky
Gemini and Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, reach their greatest peaks in the sky around the same time. The brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux, are practically overhead in middle latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, while Sirius shines low in our southern sky. The opposite is true south of the equator: Sirius glows brightly while Gemini hangs low in the northern sky.
Bottom line: The greatest seasons to gaze for the constellation Gemini in the night sky are during the winter and spring. The brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux, are twin brothers from Greek and Roman mythology.
Gemini is a constellation that can be seen in the zodiac sign of Gemini
Even for amateur astronomers, Gemini is a rather straightforward constellation to see in the sky. It is situated northeast of the constellation Orion and between the constellations Taurus and Cancer. The best time to visit is in February. By April and May, the constellation can be seen in the west shortly after sunset.
The twins’ heads are represented by the brightest stars in the constellation, which are also named after Greek mythology’s Castor and Pollux, while the twins’ bodies are outlined by fainter stars. According to NASA, Pollux, a red giant star, is 33 light-years away from Earth, whereas Castor is 51 light-years away. (A light-year is the distance traveled by light in one year, which is approximately 6 trillion miles (9.6 trillion kilometers.) Castor has two partner stars, whereas Pollux has at least one huge planet around it.
Tonight, where can I watch the comet?
Comet Leonard, also known as Comet C/2021 A1, will be seen from the Northern Hemisphere as it approaches Venus, dubbed the “evening star” by some. The comet can be seen in the southwest sky immediately after the sun sets, extremely low above the horizon.
The comet will pass close to Venus tonight at 9:08 p.m. EST, making its closest visit to the bright planet (Dec. 18 at 0208 GMT). The comet is projected to pass Venus at a distance of 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers). On Dec. 12, the brilliant comet made its closest approach to Earth, passing within 21 million miles of the planet (34 million kilometers). According to EarthSky, Venus’ brightness and prominence in the night sky may aid skywatchers in locating Comet Leonard.
Where does the Perseid meteor shower appear in the sky?
Perseid meteors come from Perseus the Hero, a constellation in the constellation Perseus. The radiant rises late at night and peaks at daybreak. Remember that you don’t have to find the radiant point of a shower to view meteors. Meteors will be seen in all directions in the sky.
What is the December meteor shower?
Every year between December 4 and 16, the Geminids peak the night of December 13 into the morning of December 14. This is the “peak” of the shower, when the most meteors per hour fall. Expect to see an average of 75 meteors per hour during the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, which is the most active of the year! The show usually begins at 9 p.m., peaks at 2 a.m., and continues into the next day’s morning hours.
What Is the Geminid Meteor Shower?
The Geminid meteor shower is one of the year’s most active and consistent meteor showers! Throughout the night, they streak through the sky every minute or two.
Because the constellation Gemini rises only an hour or two after nightfall, the meteors are visible all night long. To get the finest view of most meteor showers, you’ll have to wait until after midnight or early in the morning.
The Geminid meteor shower’s radiant is the constellation Gemini, which implies it is the meteor shower’s point of origin. Geminid meteors will appear to fall away from Gemini’s constellation.
Because Gemini rises so early, Geminid meteors can be viewed all night, however Gemini is at its highest position (providing ideal viewing) at 2 a.m.