One of 2023’s best meteor showers can be seen from Toronto this week. Here’s how to watch

“What makes it special is that this year, it occurs when the moon is virtually invisible,” John Percy, a professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Toronto, told the Star. “The problem with the moon is that it brightens the whole sky ... So the only thing we’re going to have to contend with is the cold and the clouds.”

Peaking at upwards of 120 to 160 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, the Geminids are also known for occasionally producing “fireballs” — large meteors that burn brighter than average — according to Percy.

Here’s what you need to know.

When to watch the Geminids meteor shower from Toronto

Although the Geminids are predicted to peak Wednesday, at roughly 2:27 p.m. EST, according to EarthSky.org, the actual event began Nov. 19 and will run until Dec. 24. Shooting stars can still be seen in the days before and after the peak, although they’ll be less numerous and visible.

Meteors will appear to radiate from the Gemini constellation, hence the name, before fanning out across the night. The shooting stars should be visible to Torontonians after sunset at roughly 4:40 p.m. EST. 

“You want to get away from city lights, drive off to somewhere that’s reasonably dark, reasonably safe, probably your local park that’s away from the lights,” Percy advised. “And then a very important thing is to let your eyes acclimatize to the dark for 15 or 20 minutes. You really get a much better view of things that are fainter.”

Unfortunately, according to Environment Canada, Wednesday night is forecast to have a mix of clouds with a 40 per cent chance of flurries. Still, if there’s a chance you might see a meteor, Percy recommends you take it: “Even if you only see one of these things in your life, you’ll tend to remember (it).”

Just be sure to bundle up against the cold — the forecast is a low of -5 C —  and to take someone with you instead of venturing to a dark park alone, he added.

What is the Geminids meteor shower?

According to Percy, meteors happen when bits of space dust enter our atmosphere and burn up on entry, converting their energy of motion into dazzling light.

These usually come from comets. But the Geminids are rare — they’re formed from debris trailing a unique asteroid named 3200 Phaethon as it makes its 1.4 yearlong journey around the sun, according to NASA.

The Earth happens to cross through this trail on its orbit around the Sun, peaking each year around Dec. 13 to 15. 

According to NASA, the Geminids were first seen in the mid-1800s — but only 10 to 20 meteors were seen every hour at that time. Over the centuries, the Geminids have grown into one of the most populous meteor showers of the year.

Unlike other meteor showers, which typically leave white streaks through the sky, experts at NASA say the Geminids streak with a unique greenish hue.

According to Suresh Sivanandam, the interim director of U of T’s Dunlap Institute, the colouring may be due to the asteroid’s composition.

That being said, Percy noted it’s difficult for the eye to perceive colour when looking at faint objects like distant meteors: “That’s one reason why it’s great to look at star constellations with binoculars.”

The Geminids are “always a good one” to watch, Percy continued — “And this year is shaping up to be a very good one.”