SCOTS are in for yet another dazzling display in our skies this week as the Geminid meteor shower passes by.
Experts say the Geminids are the brightest and most active meteor display of the year.
The annual event is expected to last until December 20, but Scots will have the best opportunity to catch the sensation this weekend.
The shower appears as a rainbow coloured lights display racing across our sky, leaving behind streaks of debris as it flies past.
According to Dr Shyam Balaji, the presence of metals within the meteors reacts causes the bright lights we see above when they react with the gases in the earth‘s atmosphere.
He said: “These elements burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, creating bright and colourful streaks.
“The best time to view the Geminid meteor shower is around 2am local time, when the radiant point is highest in the sky.”
Why can meteors be multi-coloured?
Meteors can turn all sorts of colours when they burn up, depending on what they’re made up of.
The chemical composition of a meteor can be the difference of it shining a blue-green, an orange-yellow, and even violet.
If a meteor burns a bright green or blue, it is because it has magnesium inside it.
If it burns an orange-yellow, it’s composition features sodium.
If it’s just yellow, it’s made up of iron.
If it shines violet, it has a lot of calcium inside it.
If it’s red, this is most likely the result of glowing air plasma, or atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen.
How to spot the Geminids
Thanks to their size, and peak period, the shower can be seen both at night, and in the early hours when light is not yet at its peak.
But they are still visible outwith their peak time.
Scots can catch the display from 9-10pm local time, but waiting until the early hours of the morning could make for much better viewing.
The Geminids get their name from the constellation Gemini, as this is where the large chunks of rock that create the meteors originate from.
To have the best chance of finding the shower, aim to find the constellation in the night sky.
If you can’t find Gemini, try using a sky map like Night Sky.
Binoculars and telescopes won’t be necessary, as they will restrict the size of the sky that’s visible to you.
But give your eyes at least an hour to adjust to the dark, so you can see the fainter meteors.
That means putting the phone down.
What’s the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here’s what you need to know, according to Nasa…
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)