This week, people across the country will be given a real treat in the lead-up to Christmas, with the Geminids meteor shower set to peak over Switzerland on December 13, 2024. It is often described as the biggest shooting star event of the year, with up to 150 meteors set to cross the night sky every hour!
A real treat of the astronomical calendar, the Geminids meteor shower is named after the Gemini constellation. The shooting stars arrive in the skies over Europe and Switzerland every December, and are sourced from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid. This means that unlike meteor showers created by comets (which are mostly ice and have a lower density), the Geminid shower is known for having a higher density of shooting stars.
Like the Perseids in August, the Geminids are considered one of the most impressive meteor showers to cross the night sky - at peak times, between 50 and 150 meteors can be seen every hour. They enter the Earth’s atmosphere at 35 kilometres per second - quite slow by meteor standards - which should make them much easier to see with the naked eye.
The peak of the Geminids meteor shower in Switzerland in 2024 is expected from December 13 to 14, with the best time to see the show set between 9 and 10pm on Friday. Don't worry if you missed the peak though, as the meteor show should continue until December 16.
For those with an in-depth knowledge of the stars - or the SkyView app on their mobile phone - the meteors will radiate from around the Gemini constellation, which will emerge from the east and move across the sky until dawn.
Sadly, in 2024 the arrival of the Geminids will coincide with a fair amount of light pollution, as the moon is set to be full on December 15. With the moon expected to be near its brightest during the peak, Swiss Astronomical Society president Marc Eichenberger told Watson that only around five to 10 of the brightest meteors will be visible each hour. Fingers crossed that the weather in Switzerland gifts us clear skies!
If you want to catch a glimpse of one of the world’s most impressive meteor showers, be sure to wrap up warm and head out to areas without any light pollution. This typically means as far away from cities as possible and towards forests, hills and, if you are lucky enough, mountains.