The Advent season marks the return of the Geminids. From the end of the week, we will be able to observe these shooting stars, but the celestial spectacle will be disrupted by the full moon.
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The peak of the shooting stars will be on the night of December 13 to 14, Marc Eichenberger, president of the Swiss Astronomical Society, told Keystone-ATS on Wednesday. The Geminids are, however, visible in the sky throughout the period from December 6 to 16.
The maximum number of shooting stars per hour is around 150, but this is a theoretical value, Eichenberger said. Furthermore, the moon will be full on December 15 and will shine all night, which will limit visibility.
The very bright Geminids visible
Consequently, only the very luminous Geminids will be visible and the number of actually observable shooting stars is reduced enormously. According to Mr. Eichenberger, we will probably only see five to ten meteors per hour in the Swiss sky.
In order to see them as best as possible, he recommends starting observations around 9 or 10 p.m. Location-wise, mountains are optimal, as they offer generally darker night skies. But certain poorly lit regions of the Plateau are also suitable.
To observe the Geminids, you must look at the constellation Gemini above the eastern horizon. However, the longest and brightest shooting stars in this swarm can appear almost anywhere in the sky.
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