Patient star gazers are in for an astronomical treat if they look towards the northern horizon each night for the next week and a half.
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The Geminid meteor shower will streak through the Tasmanian sky after midnight until close to sunrise between December 4 and 16.
Astronomical Society of Tasmania Northern coordinator Michael Booth said the meteor shower was created by debris left behind by an asteroid, which orbited the sun about every year and a half.
The debris then entered into the Earth’s atmosphere and formed steady streams of flaming balls, Mr Booth said.
This meant the meteors were different from other showers, which were often created by comets, he said.
Watching for the meteor shower would take patience, concentration and a steady eye on the northern horizon away from light pollution, Mr Booth said.
The Geminid meteor shower received its name from the Gemini constellation, which the showers appeared to emerge from, Mr Booth said.
Launceston Planetarium manager Martin George said Tasmanians would likely only see about 20 to 35 meteors an hour with the naked eye at the peak of activity.
December 13 and 14 would have the best showers on show, Mr George said.
Tess Brunton
I recently returned from across the ditch where I worked at New Zealand Fairfax paper The Timaru Herald and developed a love of mountains. Originally I'm a mainlander from an area known for cheese, the Bega Valley, who also dabbled in radio at ABC RCAFF before finding a place in newspapers. I can often be found hiking, caving or climbing when I'm not cursing at my work computer or technology in general.
I recently returned from across the ditch where I worked at New Zealand Fairfax paper The Timaru Herald and developed a love of mountains. Originally I'm a mainlander from an area known for cheese, the Bega Valley, who also dabbled in radio at ABC RCAFF before finding a place in newspapers. I can often be found hiking, caving or climbing when I'm not cursing at my work computer or technology in general.
