Meteorite shower for New Zealand over Christmas

Share to Google Classroom

A special treat awaits stargazers in New Zealand as a rare meteor shower is expected to light up the skies in the lead-up to Christmas.

Predicted by Dr. Jeremie Vaubaillon of l’Observatoire de Paris, this meteor shower originates from debris left by Comet 46P/Wirtanen.

This comet is just over one kilometer in diameter and orbits the Sun every 5.4 years. Due to its close encounters with Jupiter in 1974 and 1980, some of its debris was redirected towards Earth.

Now, more than 40 years later, this debris will create a new meteor shower. These meteoroids will appear as “shooting stars” in the night sky, and viewers may witness dozens of shooting stars per hour from different directions.

This unique event coincides with the well-known Geminid meteor shower, making it a spectacular show for skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere.

1
A Special Thank You and Merry Christmas from Kiwi Kids...
1
Scientists in New Zealand are examining a rare spade-toothed whale...
1
Social media star and chef Nick DiGiovanni teamed up with...
1
A 23-year-old circus performer from Australia has achieved two Guinness...
1
A 10-year-old boy from Wisconsin, in America, made an unusual...

World & National News

1
NASA is inviting the public to help solve a big...
1
Princess Kate has hosted her annual Christmas carol service at...
1
Spotify Wrapped has landed, giving New Zealanders a snapshot of...
1
London’s Trafalgar Square is looking festive once again, as the...
5
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x