As we approach the winter solstice, you might find yourself cursing the increasingly short days. But if you're an astronomy fan—or just a hot cocoa enthusiast who enjoys a good show—the long hours of dark will be a blessing this weekend as the Geminid meteor shower, one of the most visible and reliable showers, makes it appearance.
The Geminid shower peaks the night of December 13/14. Although often considered a poor cousin to August's Perseid shower, the Geminids often put on a better show [Astronomy]
. And this year the moon won't hinder the Geminid display—it won't rise until nearly 6 a.m., when dawn will already be upon us. Like the Leonid meteors we see in the constellation Leo, which made an appearance last month, the Geminids are so named because of their apparent origin, the constellation Gemini.
The shower's radiant, the point in the sky from which they all ...
