Geminid Meteor Shower

Shooting stars! A sight to behold at any time, especially under the dark starry skies at Grassholme. This shower, however, has to be a contender for the no one choice from the annual group of meteor showers.

To explain, as the terminology can be confusing. A shooting star is a popular name given to a meteor, and a meteor is normally a tiny remnant of a comet, which passed through our solar system a long time ago, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. This debris is normally made up of fast-moving, tiny (salt grain-sized) pieces of the comet, which hits our atmosphere at speeds approaching, in some cases, 58km per second. When these particles of a comet hit our atmosphere, they heat up their surroundings and evaporate in a flash of light, and the flash that we see is what we call a shooting star!

The Geminid meteor shower is regarded as the King of meteor showers, the best of the year, with up to 120 multi-colored meteors each hour, visible on dark skies, and on moonless evenings. This year, we have a third quarter moon that will make the sies a little brighter!

As well as the shooting stars, you will be able to use our high-tech instruments, computers, and cameras, to make your night unforgettable – including talks in the classroom and tours of the facility. To the backdrop of birds on the lake…it’s magical!

Book now for a socially distanced night of astronomy, shooting stars, and space facts. We have limited spaces, to guarantee a special and intimate night – so book early!

Terms and conditions of booking

1. Safety is our first priority – you must adhere to all instructions of the team leading the astronomy session and You must not do anything to compromise the health and safety of yourself or others and must report any concerns or risks to the onsite team immediately. Should you put yourself or others at risk this may mean that you are politely asked to leave the site.
2. Your booking is non-refundable. Should we cancel the event for any reason we will however make a full refund or give the option of a transfer to another date. If you are unable to undertake dark sky observing because of cloud cover then we will offer you a 20% discount on a future booking made and taken within 8 weeks of the event.
3. You should bring appropriate clothing to keep you warm.
4. You should arrive at Grassholme no later than 15 minutes before the start of your session.
5. Grassholme is set within the quiet upper Tees Valley and we ask that you drive safely and do not disturb residents with loud music, or other disturbance late at night.
6. You should not do anything to disturb or destroy the visitor experience for other attendees and failure to do so may mean that you are politely asked to leave the site.