The Geminid meteor shower lights up the sky each December, and this year’s view will be even more spectacular than those of years passed. The sky will be darker this year due to the new moon happening just a few days before the shower’s peak.
Watch the bright comets flashing across the sky between Friday, 14 December and Saturday, 15 December. The shower’s peak will be between 2–5am on Saturday morning, so be sure not to miss it.
The Geminids are named after the Gemini constellation, but the shooting stars we see from Earth are actually trails of debris the asteroid 3200 Phaethon leaves behind during its orbit of the sun.
As Saturday is expected to be cloudy, you may have a better view of the shower in higher, more mountainous areas such as Pniel in Stellenbosch.
READ: Best places to watch the Geminid meteor shower
Picture: Pixabay