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<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-heading-earth-bright-outshine-stars-scientists-c-2023-a32023-3">Comet A3, or Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS</a>, is visible in the Northern Hemisphere this October.</li><li>The comet takes 80,000 years to orbit the sun, so Neanderthals were among the last people to see it.</li></ul><p>A rare comet is gleaming in our skies this October, it's your only chance to ever see it, and it might be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saw-northern-lights-surprising-photos-misleading-2024-5">visible to<strong> </strong>the naked eye</a>.</p><p>Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, or Comet A3, is a dusty ball of ice from the Oort Cloud that takes about 80,000 years to orbit the sun. That means some of the last people to see it were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/last-neanderthal-thorin-unique-dna-help-explain-species-extinction-2024-9">Neanderthals</a>.</p><p>This is the best opportunity in years, and possibly in a decade, to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-viewing-where-when-how-see-2023-1">see a bright comet in the sky</a>. Experts are hopeful that Comet A3 will be "highly memorable" and "a real crowd pleaser," according to Dan Bartlett, an astrophotographer who tracks comets.</p><p>But you <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tried-see-green-comet-fail-2023-2">need to be prepared</a>.</p><p>"It's just hard to make the time to be in the right place, to have the right experience," Teddy Kareta, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomer-animations-reveal-solar-system-physics-2021-10">planetary scientist</a> who specializes in comets at the Lowell Observatory, told Business Insider.</p><p>When Kareta has talked to people who have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/devil-comet-visible-during-total-solar-eclipse-how-see-2024-4">seen a truly great comet</a>, though, "there's just nothing like it," he said.</p><p>Here's everything you should know to be in the right place at the right time and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-when-to-see-green-comet-mars-together-night-sky-2023-2">spot the comet</a>.</p><h2 id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">How bright is Comet A3?</h2><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">Nobody is certain about how bright this comet will be, but Kareta says it has the potential to be the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-green-comet-nishimura-2023-9">brightest comet</a> in a decade.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">The last big, bold comet was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-surprise-appearance-earth-unprepared-for-asteroids-2020-7">NEOWISE in 2020</a>. It was visible to the naked eye and produced stunning photos like this:</p><div type="image" title="comet neowise belarus" height="1911" width="3000" msid="113849897" hostid="261" sizebytes="285386"></div><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">Astronomers are divided about whether Comet A3 will shine as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-passing-close-to-earth-dazzling-photos-videos-2020-7">bright as Comet NEOWISE</a>.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">In recent weeks, A3 has at times been brighter than predicted and at other times matched predictions, according to the BBC's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/beginners-guide-comet-c-2023-a3">Sky at Night Magazine</a> and Robert Massey, the deputy executive director of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_mGtE7282Q&amp;ab_channel=RoyalAstronomicalSociety">Royal Astronomical Society</a>.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">From a dark-sky vantage point at Mono Lake, California — tucked into the Sierra Nevadas — Bartlett says he can see the comet with binoculars already.</p><p>But comets can change quickly, in a matter of hours. That's because their brightness depends on what type and amount of gas or dust they're emitting, and that can change on a dime.</p><p>For example, in 2007 Comet Holmes suddenly flared up and became 500,000 times brighter in just two days because a pocket of gas inside it had breached its surface, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.space.com/20347-comet-brightness-predictions-difficult.html">Space.com</a>.</p><p>"Sometimes people will say that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-everest-sky-how-to-see-it-12p-pons-brooks-2024-3">predicting comets</a> is kind of like playing the lottery," Kareta said.</p><h2 id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">When and where to see Comet A3</h2><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">Weather permitting,<strong> </strong>everyone in the Northern Hemisphere should be able to see Comet A3 in October.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">There are two windows to catch it, one from now through October 2 and another from October 12 to 30, according to a press release from Massey.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">During the first window, the comet appears above the eastern horizon during a 15-minute window that begins one hour before sunrise, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.space.com/comet-tsuchinshan-atlas-brightening-perihelion-how-to-see">Space.com</a>.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">However, the best opportunity to see the comet, when it's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.astronomy.com/observing/comet-tsuchinshan-atlas-may-soon-become-bright/">closest to Earth</a>, is during the second window. After sunset, it will shine in the west, just to the left of the Big Dipper's handle, making for a more schedule-friendly viewing time.</p><h2 id="f584376a-e5c8-4cf2-9b77-2d6434dabfc3">Where to go and what to bring</h2><p>For the best viewing, you should drive far from the city and gaze into a very dark sky. Check Business Insider's list of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/darkest-skies-by-state-watch-space-events-stargazing">dark-sky spots in each state</a>.</p><div type="image" title="night sky with meteors shooting stars bright white streaks and one extra bright fireball above a rocky hillside of evergreen trees" height="681" width="1024" msid="113849895" hostid="261" sizebytes="82586"></div><p>If that's not an option, though, find a relatively dark spot outside the worst of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-dark-skies-look-like-how-many-more-stars-than-cities-suburbs">city lights</a> — maybe on a hill or just outside the city — where you can face away from any major light sources to look toward Comet A3.</p><p>"Even if you live in an area with lots and lots of street lights, lots of smog, lots of smoke, lots of whatever, you still ought to go for it," Kareta said.</p><p>Check the weather before you go. If it will be cloudy all night, for example, you may want to plan for another evening. Bring warm layers and a chair or blanket to lay back on. Without support, you might be surprised how quickly your neck gets tired of craning back to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-exploding-star-nova-nasa-says-expect-soon-2024-3">look at the stars</a>.</p><p>If you have binoculars or a telescope, bring them. There's no guarantee of naked-eye visibility. In some cities, you can check out binoculars or a telescope from your local library.</p><p>Especially if you're a beginner, you may want to download a skywatching app like Sky Safari ($4.99 in the App Store) or pull up a website like Stellarium (free) on your phone. Once you're on the ground, that will help you pinpoint where the comet is in the sky.</p><h2 id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">How to look for the comet</h2><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">Finding a comet in the sky is harder than you might think. You'll need to know a few tips and techniques.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">Once you reach your comet-watching spot, it can help to open your skywatching app to identify exactly where the comet is in the sky, near a constellation you recognize — like the Big Dipper.</p><p>Then give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Try not to look at your phone. Even a small burst of blue light is enough to reset your eyes.</p><p>If the comet doesn't immediately jump out to you, try scanning around the area. Your peripheral vision is more sensitive to faint objects, so you might spot it in the corner of your eye.</p><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-what-look-like-see-photos-2023-1">You're looking for</a> a smudge, slightly bigger than a star. It won't twinkle like the stars do, and it will look a bit blurrier, with less defined borders. It might appear elongated because of the comet's tail, which is dust and gas flowing off its icy body.</p><p>"If you look at it and it looks like it's behaving differently than some of the stars nearby, that's a really good sign that you've picked up on the right thing," Kareta said.</p><p>If you're still not sure, try taking a long-exposure photo with your phone. This is built into most phone cameras' nighttime settings. (Hint: Turn your brightness down to protect your eyes.)</p><p>The long exposure will provide a clearer image of the comet than your eyes can.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">If you can't find Comet A3 at all, Kareta recommends trying again a few days later.</p><p>"Go one night out, and then take a night off, and go back out. You'll know better how to time it, how to get ready," he said.</p><h2 id="4dc3ee16-f7a1-4a12-9138-5ef798a3a762">How to photograph the comet</h2><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">If your phone isn't picking up the comet, a DSLR camera might do the trick. Massey recommends taking a series of exposures.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">You can also hold your phone camera up to the lens of your binoculars or telescope to take a picture through it. That method can be tricky, so it helps to practice a bit in advance.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">After this, Comet A3 won't return for tens of thousands of years. "See it now or lose your chance," Kareta said.</p>

How to see Comet A3, which could be the best comet in a decade. Neanderthals walked the Earth last time it flew by.

<br /><br /><ul><li><keyword id="9066921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comet-atlas">Comet ATLAS</keyword> not only supposed to be <keyword id="9066923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="brightest-comet-of-2020">brightest comet of 2020</keyword> — but the brightest to fly over Earth in over two decades.<br /></li><li>However, a network of 60 telescopes by citizen astronomers was able to determine that it’s falling apart instead.<br /></li><li>Instead of breaking records, it’s now a part of the long line of comets that were destined for greatness but fell short at the end of the day. <br /></li></ul>Comet ATLAS was supposed to be the brightest comet of 2020 — so bright that people would be able to see it zoom past Earth’s skies visible to the naked eye. Some say it would have been the brightest comet in over two decades to fall to our planet. <br /><br />As its deadline reared closer, instead of becoming brighter, the comet seemed like it was rapidly starting to disappear.<br /><br />Using 60 <a href="https://seti.org/press-release/fragmentation-comet-atlas-observed-first-crowd-sourced-pictures-citizen-astronomers">eVscopes</a> — 40 users in Europe and another 20 in the US — a digital network of telescopes with Unistellar was able to crowdsource images of Comet ATLAS. They were able to determine that it was disintegrating instead.<br /><br />All the data was brought together to create a ‘super image’ of the comet showing its tail, its coma and its eerie green glow that indicates the presence of cyanide gas. Super images taken over three days show that the centre of the comet — the nucleus — is indeed falling apart.<br /><br />“We’ve combined observations from multiple users to produce a highly accurate observing record of Comet ATLAS,” explained <a href="https://seti.org/press-release/fragmentation-comet-atlas-observed-first-crowd-sourced-pictures-citizen-astronomers">Arnaud Malvache</a>, Chief Technology Officer at Unistellar.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comet ATLAS grew 4,000 times brighter in just a month<br /></strong>Comet ATLAS was first discovered in December 2019 by astronomers in Hawaii. At the time, it was as dim as can be. However, within the span of a month, the comet grew to become over more than 4,000 times brighter.<br /><br />Not only was the massive increase in its brightness far greater than what astronomers had originally anticipated, but it also raised expectations that Comet ATLAS would only become brighter in the coming days.<br /><br />“Comet ATLAS continues to brighten much faster than expected. Some predictions for its peak brightness now border on the absurd,” stated <a href="https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2020/03/16/comet-atlas-is-brightening-faster-than-expected/">Karl Battams</a> of the Naval Research Lab at the time.<br /><br />The comet was on its way to Earth after taking a spin around Mars, not unlike one of the iconic comets in history — the Great Comet of 1844.<br /><br />It was expected that the Comet ATLAS would become visible to the naked eye in early April and by the time May rolled around, its greenish hue would have been evident to anyone in the northern hemisphere.<br /><br />Instead of breaking records, it’s now a part of the <a href="https://medium.com/the-cosmic-companion/could-comets-teach-us-how-to-terraform-mars-6bf24f889fa4">long line of comets</a> that were destined for greatness but fell short at the end of the day. <br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-is-visiting-the-largest-valley-on-the-moon-five-decades-after-apollo-18-was-originally-supposed-to-land-on-the-grand-canyon-sized-formation/articleshow/75136145.cms">NASA is visiting the largest valley on the Moon five decades after Apollo 18 was originally supposed to land on the Grand Canyon-sized formation</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/if-you-think-working-from-home-is-tough-nasas-scientists-are-trying-to-operate-the-2-5-billion-curiosity-rover-without-an-office/articleshow/75153455.cms">If you think working from home is tough — NASA’s scientists are trying to operate the $2.5 billion Curiosity rover without an office</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/jupiter-saturn-and-mars-ignore-social-distancing-as-they-plan-to-meet-the-moon-this-week/articleshow/75132926.cms"><strong>Jupiter, Saturn and Mars ignore social distancing as they plan to meet the Moon this week</strong></a><br />

This comet was supposed to be the brightest of 2020 — now it's falling apart in the skies above us

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/hubble-observes-1st-confirmed-interstellar-comet">NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)</a></span></p><p class="caption">This Hubble image taken October 12, 2019 is the sharpest view of the comet 2I/Borisov to date.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a>'s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/hubble-space-telescope">Hubble Space Telescope</a> has snapped a clear photo of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interstellar-object-possibly-approaching-our-solar-system-2019-9">the second interstellar visitor ever detected in our solar system</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/image-reveals-second-interstellar-object-comet-tail-2019-9">The comet</a>, called 2I/Borisov, came from an unknown star system. It's hurtling past the sun at 110,000 miles per hour and is expected to pass close to Mars later this month.</li><li>The photos and time-lapse video from Hubble show a halo of dust surrounding the object's unseen core, just like comets from our own solar system. That's very different than the first <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/interstellar-space">interstellar</a> object ever detected, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/oumuamua">'Oumuamua</a>, which was an inactive rock.</li><li>Astronomers worldwide are racing to study 2I/Borisov with other telescopes. More Hubble observations are scheduled for the coming months.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>The second interstellar visitor ever detected is plummeting into our solar system, and NASA's Hubble telescope just snapped a clear photo of it.</p><p>The comet, known as 2I/Borisov, came from another star system, though astronomers don't know exactly where yet. It's named for the amateur astronomer who first spotted it on August 30: Gennady Borisov, who lives in Crimea. Nearly a month later, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) confirmed the object's interstellar origins.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interstellar-object-possibly-approaching-our-solar-system-2019-9">It's official: The second interstellar visitor ever discovered is about to fly through our solar system</a></em></p><p>The comet is hurtling past the sun at speeds of 110,000 miles per hour, then is expected to fly near Mars this month, passing outside the planet's orbit and getting no closer to Earth than 190 million miles (300 million kilometers).</p><p>2I/Borisov is only the second interstellar object ever found to be passing through our solar system. The first such object, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oumuamua-comet-asteroid-object-origin-dwarf-stars-2018-9">mysterious</a> and cigar-shaped <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oumuamua-interstellar-object-robotic-spacecraft-launch-intercept-missions-2019-2">'Oumuamua</a> (which a few scientists controversially argued <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oumuamua-interstellar-space-rock-alien-spaceship-evidence-2019-1">could be alien</a> in origin), sped past Earth at a distance of 15 million miles in October 2017.</p><p>"The main difference from 'Oumuamua and this one is that we got it a long, long time in advance, " <a href="https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eso.org%2F%7Eohainaut%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olivier Hainaut</a>, an astronomer with the European Southern Observatory, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interstellar-object-possibly-approaching-our-solar-system-2019-9">told Business Insider</a> in September. "Now astronomers are much more prepared."</p><p>NASA turned the lens of its most powerful space telescope, Hubble, toward the comet and snapped the clearest photo of it yet on October 12. The agency released the image on Wednesday. At the time of the photo, 2I/Borisov was 260 million miles from Earth.</p><p>"Whereas 'Oumuamua appeared to be a rock, Borisov is really active, more like a normal comet. It's a puzzle why these two are so different," David Jewitt, the astronomer who led the Hubble team that observed the comet, said in a <a href="https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2019/news-2019-53#section-id-2">press release</a>.</p><h2>2I/Borisov looks like comets from our solar system </h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.gemini.edu/node/21240">Gemini Observatory/NSF/AURA/Composite image by Travis Rector</a></span></p><p class="caption">Gemini Observatory's two-color composite image of 2I/Borisov (called C/2019 Q4 at the time), in September 2019. Blue and red dashes are background stars that appear to streak as the comet moves.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The new image reveals a concentration of dust surrounding the comet's core, though the core itself is too small for Hubble to see. NASA has <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2019-185">estimated</a> that the core is between 1.2 and 10 miles (2 and 16 kilometers) in diameter. </p><p>That dust halo is characteristic of comets - they hold ice that gets heated up by nearby stars, leading them to shoot out gas and grit into space. The dust could make 2I/Borisov simpler to track than 'Oumuamua, since dust brightly reflects sunlight.</p><p>The Hubble team also shared a time-lapse video clip (below) of the comet; the footage spans seven hours of observations, which is why stars are streaked across the background.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/hubble-observes-1st-confirmed-interstellar-comet">NASA, ESA and J. DePasquale (STScI)</a></span></p><p class="caption">The Hubble image reveals a central concentration of dust around the comet's unseen nucleus.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Observations of 2I/Borisov could tell astronomers about the structure and chemistry of the materials that form in whichever star system the object came from. So far, it looks a lot like the comets from our own solar system. </p><p>"Though another star system could be quite different from our own, the fact that the comet's properties appear to be very similar to those of the solar system's building blocks is very remarkable," Amaya Moro-Martin, an astronomer at the Space Telescope <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword> Institute, said in the release.</p><h2>Astronomers will watch the interstellar object with as many telescopes as possible</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>NASA/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">NASA's Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>More Hubble observations of the comet are scheduled through January 2020, and astronomers have submitted proposals for even more after that.</p><p>"New comets are always unpredictable," Max Mutchler, another member of the Hubble team, said in the release. "They sometimes brighten suddenly or even begin to fragment as they are exposed to the intense heat of the sun for the first time. Hubble is poised to monitor whatever happens next with its superior sensitivity and resolution."</p><p>Meanwhile, astronomers are grabbing observation time with every other available telescope, including what Hainaut called the "big guys," like the Very Large Telescope in Chile.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>ESO</span></p><p class="caption">The Very Large Telescope is located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Astronomers expect 2I/Borisov to be brightest in mid-December, when it will get closest to the sun. Mid-sized telescopes should be able to keep observing it until April 2020. After that, larger, more sophisticated telescopes can continue watching it until October 2020, when it will fade back into interstellar space.</p><p>Overall, the fact that 2I/Borisov was detected just two years after 'Oumuamua suggests that interstellar visitors may be far more common than scientists previously thought. A recent <a href="https://news.yale.edu/2019/09/26/get-ready-more-interstellar-objects-yale-astronomers-say">study</a> found that a few such large objects likely enter our solar system every year, along with hundreds more small objects that are harder to detect.</p><p>Each new object that astronomers identify can teach us something new about other star systems.</p><p>"Here we have something that was born around another star and traveling toward us," Hainaut said. "It's the next best thing to sending a probe to a different solar system."</p><p><em>Dave Mosher contributed reporting to this story.</em></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-scientists-oumuamua-interstellar-object-alien-spacecraft-solar-sail-2018-11">Why Harvard scientists think this interstellar object might be an alien spacecraft</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

NASA's Hubble space telescope just took incredible photos of a visiting comet from another star system

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/geminids-meteor-shower-how-to-see-shooting-stars-2019-12">Geminids</a> meteor shower will dominate the skies on Sunday night with bright, colorful shooting stars.</li><li>Since the new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harvest-full-moon-calendar-native-american-names-2016-9">moon</a> will be totally dark, it won't outshine smaller <keyword id="1422779" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Geminids">Geminids</keyword>. That could make this the year's best meteor shower.</li><li><strong>Unlike most <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-orionids-meteor-shower-shooting-stars-fireballs-2020-10">meteor showers</a>, which come from comet dust, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-parker-solar-probe-spots-geminids-meteor-trail-2019-12">the Geminids are fragments of an asteroid</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>The Geminids meteor shower is likely to flaunt the brightest shooting stars of 2020. It peaks Sunday night.</p><p>The shower is expected to produce about 120 yellow, green, orange, red, and blue shooting stars per hour. The brightest of these meteors leave glowing trails in their wake.</p><p>The moon won't outshine any of the meteors, since it will hang dark and nearly invisible in the night sky.</p><p>"It's worth braving the cold during this shower's peak," Diana Hannikainen, observing editor at Sky &amp; Telescope, said in a <a href="https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/great-show-expected-for-the-geminids/">statement</a>. "The Geminids offer the best display of 'shooting stars' all year."</p><p>She added that clear skies might reveal a new meteor every minute or two from 10 p.m. until dawn.</p><p>The <keyword id="6549794" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="asteroid">asteroid</keyword> 3200 Phaethon left behind the trail of dust that's responsible for the Geminids several thousand years ago. That makes the Geminids unique, since most <keyword id="70868" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="meteor-showers">meteor showers</keyword> come from the dust of a comet (a ball of ice and rock) rather than a asteroid (a bare <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> rock).</p><div type="image" title="phaethon asteroid" height="960" width="1440" msid="79669378" hostid="261"></div><p>As Earth orbits the sun, it crosses Phaethon's orbital path each December, plowing through the trail of debris that the asteroid has shed. Though these bits of space rock can be as small as grains of sand, they burn up in the atmosphere and emit brilliant flares of light.</p><p>The shooting stars' distinct colors come from different chemical elements in the rock. Burning magnesium, for example, shines blue-green, while iron burns yellow, as astronomer Samantha Rolfe explained in <a href="https://theconversation.com/geminids-meteor-shower-an-astrophysicist-on-what-to-look-out-for-108505">The Conversation</a>.</p><p>In 2019, NASA's Parker Solar Probe <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-parker-solar-probe-spots-geminids-meteor-trail-2019-12">spotted the Geminids debris trail for the first time ever</a>. Thanks to the probe's observations, scientists found that the Geminids trail contains about 1 billion kilograms (1 million tons) of material.</p><p>On Sunday night, you can watch some of that space rock streaking across the sky as it burns in the atmosphere.</p><h2>How to watch the Geminids</h2><div type="image" title="meteor shower watch hammock stargazing" height="1666" width="2222" msid="79669380" hostid="261"></div><p>For the best viewing opportunities, bundle up and get as far from city lights as you can. Find a comfortable spot to lay on your back with an open view of the stars. (Hint: A reclining chair can be a meteor-watcher's best friend.) Wait 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.</p><p>The show will begin after night falls, as early as 8 p.m. It reaches its peak at 2 a.m. local time.</p><p>The shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky, but if you need a reference point, look to the constellation Gemini, from which the Geminids often appear to emerge. (That's how they get their name.)</p><p>After the Geminids, the next meteor shower to look for will be the Ursids, which peak on the night of December 21. </p>

You Searched For "brightest comet of 2020" and got 4 results

How to see Comet A3, which could be the best comet in a decade. Neanderthals walked the Earth last time it flew by.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

This comet was supposed to be the brightest of 2020 — now it's falling apart in the skies above us

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NASA's Hubble space telescope just took incredible photos of a visiting comet from another star system

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

The Geminids meteor shower peaks this weekend, with hundreds of multicolored shooting stars. Here's how to watch.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

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