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!