JACKOSNVILLE, Fla. – This year may not be the best showing of the Geminid meteor shower which peaks Tuesday evening but it is known to offer surprises for those who get up early.
Now through Thursday morning the earth will be passing through the shredded crumbles of an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon and you may see the fiery streaks of these meteors called the Geminids.
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It peaks Tuesday night (December 13) into Wednesday morning but clouds and a bright full moon may temper this year's show.
Overpowering moonlight is bad timing. The glare from Tuesdays full moon will make it difficult to spot what is typically one of the most reliable and spectacular annual meteor showers.
Fog and low clouds over the First Coast will also increase overnight and could completely obscure the bright and fast meteors during the predawn hours when they are typically more numerous.
Under perfect conditions,120 Geminid meteors can be seen per hour as they crash into the atmosphere 50 to 60 miles above at 80,000 miles per hour.