One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year is expected to light up the night sky this weekend.
The Geminid meteor shower, which is called a meteor storm because of its intensity, is expected to peak some time between Saturday and Sunday.
It has been known to produce more than 150 meteors an hour at its peak, although light pollution and other factors mean that in reality the actual number visible is generally far lower.
The Geminids originate from a rocky asteroid called 3200 Phaethon with a comet-like orbit and were first observed in 1862.
The meteors, small pieces of interplanetary debris, appear to radiate from near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini.
Dr Minjae Kim, a physics research fellow at the University of Warwick, said: “The Geminids are one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year.
“They are fascinating as they’re one of the few major meteor showers associated with an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, rather than a comet.
“Observationally, it’s quite intriguing as they consistently produce impressive rates of meteors, with over 120 an hour under ideal conditions, making them one of the most beautiful meteor showers visible from the northern sky, alongside the Perseids in August.
“The stream’s orbit is also unique, as it travels slightly outside its parent body when closest to the sun.”
According to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, meteors of the Geminid meteor shower are very bright, moderately fast, and are unusual in being multicoloured – mainly white, with some yellow and a few green, red and blue.
These colours are partly caused by the presence of traces of metals such as sodium and calcium, the same effect that is used to make fireworks colourful.
