Hong Kong will see a Geminid meteor shower in mid-December, which will be a grand finale of astronomical phenomena visible in Hong Kong this year. It is estimated that, during the peak at 9pm tomorrow (December 14), the Zenithal Hourly Rate of the meteor shower can reach 150, which is the highest among the various meteor showers that have come along this year. The Hong Kong Space Museum will live stream the Geminid meteor shower from 9pm to 11pm tomorrow via its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/hkspacem) and "LCSD Plusss" Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LCSDPlusss) and introduce the science of meteor showers and different ways in observing them.

     As observing conditions are inevitably affected by the position of the radiant of the meteor shower and moonlight, the best time for observation in Hong Kong is estimated to be from 10pm to 11pm tomorrow, during which observers in remote areas may be able to see 10 to 20 meteors.

     During a meteor shower, meteors appear to emanate from a point (the radiant) in the night sky. The radiant of the Geminid meteor shower will rise in the northeast at about 7.30pm tomorrow, and the number of meteors will increase when the radiant climbs higher in the sky. Nevertheless, as the moon will rise in the east at 10.53pm tomorrow evening, bright moonlight will outshine fainter meteors and degrade the observing conditions. Observers should plan to observe the Geminid meteor shower before midnight at a site with a wide field of view and less light pollution.

     Since weather always affects astronomical observations, members of the public are advised to pay attention to the latest weather conditions during observation. The public should also comply with the latest anti-epidemic measures and maintain social distancing and stay vigilant with regards to personal hygiene. For details of the Geminid meteor shower and the live streaming, please visit the Hong Kong Space Museum's website at hk.space.museum.

Ends/Tuesday, December 13, 2022
Issued at HKT 11:05

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