ILLUSTRATION BY STUART FUNK
December brings one of the best meteor showers of the year. The Geminids light up the night sky Nov. 19 to Dec. 24, peaking in mid-December. View the shower just after midnight on the evenings of Dec. 13 and 14 to see the most activity. The Geminids may be especially good this year because of the early setting moon on the night of the peak. Under the best conditions, you may see between 50 to 120 meteors per hour. If you can, get away from city lights and find a broad view of the sky. There is no need to use a telescope, as that will only narrow your view.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org/observatory.