Geminid meteor shower: When to watch the show in Ohio

Tonight brings the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, which is the strongest meteor shower of the year. The shower is expected to peak Sunday and Monday night, the American Meteor Society reported.

The shower lasts from Dec. 4 to Dec. 17 and will be most visible from midnight until dawn, Space.com reported. The meteors will be easy to see due to the new moon.

Since temperatures will be cold overnight, astronomy enthusiasts may want to bring a blanket or heavy coat while they watch, as temperatures are expected to drop as low as 36 degrees tonight, 30 degrees tomorrow night and 22 degrees on Monday. The AMS reported that the meteors will be visible from 11 p.m. onward.

With no interference from moonlight, sky watchers can see around 60 to 120 meteors per hour on the night of the peak, according to Space.com. Even after the peak, bright meteors may be visible for the next few days.

The Geminid meteor shower is nearly 200 years old, according to known records. The first recorded observation was in 1833 from a riverboat on the Mississippi River, Space.com reported. The meteor shower has reportedly grown stronger overtime as Jupiter has pulled particles from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, the source of the shower, closer to Earth.

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