ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
2020'S METEOR SHOWERS by Jay Chesters
From October through December there are several key meteor showers before the end of 2020. Starting with the faint and fast Orionids in October, through to the bold and bright Geminids in December there's lots happening in the sky. Thanks to some fortunate moon phases, we're also looking forward to dark skies. Get away from the city lights, find somewhere dark, then sit back and watch the skies.
Read on for the key facts.
Name: The Draconids Peak: Just before nightfall, October 8 What to expect: Typically, not much -- but in 2012 up to 1,000 meteors per hour were detected
Will they be bright? The Draconids are a bright meteor shower
What's the Moon doing? The waning gibbous moon doesn't rise until late evening
Slow or fast? The Draconids are slow meteors, reaching about 20km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Draco, the Dragon
Name: The Taurids Peak: Around midnight, November 12 What to expect: An average of only around 5 meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Taurids can be as bright as the Moon, leaving smoke trails
What's the Moon doing? The waning crescent moon is rising before dawn, so won't affect viewing
Slow or fast? The Taurids are slow, coming in around 28 km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Taurus
Name: The Orionids Peak: Before dawn, October 21 What to expect: An average of 10 to 20 yellowishgreen meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Orionids are a little faint but many leave persistent trails
What's the Moon doing? The Moon is setting early in the evening so the skies will be dark
Slow or fast? The Orionids are extremely fast, plummeting into the Earth’s atmosphere at about 66km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Orion
Name: The Leonids Peak: Before dawn, November 17 What to expect: An average of 10 to 15 greenish meteors per hour
Will they be bright? Larger Leonids are known for producing bright meteors
What's the Moon doing? The Moon is setting early in the evening so the skies will be dark
Slow or fast? The Leonids are extremely fast, hitting our atmosphere at around 72km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Leo
Name: The Geminids Peak: After midnight, December 13/14 What to expect: An average of around 120 meteors per hour
Will they be bright? The Geminids are bold and bright What's the Moon doing? There is a New Moon this year with dark skies all night
Slow or fast? The Geminids are quite slow, clocking in at around 35 km/s
Where to look: The meteors seem to emerge from the constellation of Gemini
