The Geminids is an annual meteor shower occurring in mid December. This year, they will begin on the 4th and be peaking from the night of the 13th of December into the early morning of the 14th.
Photo credit: Anne Morley
3200 Phaethon is an asteroid with a 524 day orbit around the sun. Each year, Earth passes through its trail and in doing so, passes through dust and debris that it leaves behind. This space dust is what creates the spectacular display of lights we see annually.
Photo credit: Jarrod Styles
The Geminids are particularly beautiful with up to 120 meteors per hour at their peak. This year, some of the fainter ones may be washed out by a waxing moon, however, in the few hours before dawn after the moon has set, the Geminids and the stars will have the sky to themselves.
Photo credit: Joel Bramley
So find yourself a dark, open sky for viewing to make the most of the night. Lake Tyrrell is one location that should produce some spectacular views. There you'll find a dark sky and over 200 square kilometres of open space allowing you to immerse yourself in the stars. See our blog post on astrophotography for more tips on finding a great location for watching and photographing this spectacular event!