Pheonicid Meteor Shower

Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere will have a chance to see the first meteor shower of this month. The Pheonicid Meteor Shower, which is usually active from November 28 to December 9, will peak around December 2.

Best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, the Pheonicids is a minor meteor shower associated with a stream of material from the disintegrating comet D/1819 W1 (Blanpain). The radiant point of the Pheonicids is in the constellation of Phoenix. According to astronomers, the Earth may be about to pass through a denser patch of cometary debris on December 2, 2019, around 21:30 UT. The estimated number of meteors per hour during the peak activity may reach 12. Meteors will appear in the sky from the radiant point near the orange-hued star in the constellation of Cetus called Theta Ceti.

You can start watching for the Pheonicid Meteor Shower after dusk. The shower should be active throughout the hours of darkness, when the radiant point is highest in the sky. To find the exact position of the shower’s radiant point in the sky of your area, use the stargazing app Star Walk 2. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere won’t see this meteor shower, as the radiant will be below the horizon.

Clear skies and happy stargazing!