ON 14 DECEMBER 2018, the Geminids meteor shower will light up the skies with one of the most spectacular displays of shooting stars to be viewed from Earth this year.
Professor Alan Duffy, an astronomer at Swinburne University in Melbourne and lead scientist of the Royal Institute of Australia, said the Geminids will be “one of the best meteor showers of the year”, due to the sheer number of possible meteor sightings throughout the event.
“At its peak, you will be able to see up to 120 shooting stars an hour – that’s two per minute!” Alan said.
The Geminids meteor shower occurs at a similar time each year, when Earth passes through a cloud of debris from a parent Asteroid, named the 3200 Phaethon. Alan explained that the Geminids meteor shower is particularly unusual as it is “formed from an asteroid and not a comet, as is more standard for meteor showers”.
The prime viewing time favours star-gazers in Australia and the Americas, however the shower should last around 24 hours, allowing people from all around the globe to get a glimpse.
For Australians, the maximum is forecasted to occur on Friday, 14 December at 12:30am AEDT.
CAMERA SETTINGS SUGGESTIONS:-
. Use a Tri-Pod and a Full Frame Sensor Camera for best results – 25 second exposure, f2.8 with ISO at 1600 OR try 30 seconds f4 with ISO at 1600.
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