The Geminid meteor shower of 2023

 The Geminid meteor shower of 2023 to be max tonight 

The Geminid meteor shower of 2023  would be one of the year's best celestial fireworks displays. The Geminid meteor shower gets its name from the Gemini constellation, the area in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate (also called its radiant point). With  favourable weather conditions and Thanks to a dark one-day old new moon, tonight looks like a great night to catch the peak of this year meteor shower. People in areas with dark skies could see as many as 100 meteors per hour, as per the information available. If you are unable to face the cold or don't have clear skies, you can still catch the Geminid meteor shower tonight with free online live streams hosted by the Slooh telescope network and the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome, Italy. 

The Slooh robotic telescope network is hosting a free live stream of the Geminid meteor shower beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) on Thursday (Dec. 14). Slooh operates a network of telescopes in Chile and the Canary islands. The organization hosts live stream webcasts such as this one and also allows users to rent time on their telescopes. The Virtual Telescope Project is operated by astronomer Gianluca Masi. Masi will also host a live stream of the Geminid meteor shower beginning at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT). 

"This year, the moon will be new, so not visible in the sky, offering the best, darkest conditions for a memorable experience. We can expect about 100 meteors per hour," Masi writes on the project's website. The project will host a second live stream of the meteor shower on Thursday (Dec. 14) beginning at the same time. 

The Geminids are noteworthy to watch, unlike other meteor showers, they are created not by debris from a comet but by leftovers of 3200 Phaëthon, an Earth-crossing Apollo asteroid with an orbit which brings it closer to the sun than any other named asteroid. 

If you hope to take some of your own photographs of the Geminids or any other meteor shower, be sure to check out the guide to photograph meteors and meteor showers. And if you need imaging gear for the next big celestial spectacle, consider best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. There's are so many stunning sights to see in the night sky. If you need a telescope, we recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.