TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei Astronomical Museum (台北天文館) announced on Monday (Dec. 1) that the Geminids meteor shower is expected to peak on Dec. 14, and will offer skywatchers a spectacular show with approximately 100 meteors visible per hour. This celestial event coincides with the year's earliest sunsets, which will occur from Nov. 22 to Dec. 7, rather than on the winter solstice (Dec. 21).
On Dec. 8, Mercury will reach its greatest western elongation, presenting the last chance this year to observe the planet. Enthusiasts should look southeast between 5:30 a.m. and dawn for the best view. The meteor shower's peak, with a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 150, promises a remarkable display, as the waning moon will rise around 2:30 a.m., minimizing its impact on visibility.
The winter solstice will bring the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with daylight lasting only 10 hours and 34 minutes. However, the earliest sunset will occur earlier in the season, explained by the elliptical orbit and axial tilt of Earth. In Taipei, the winter solstice sunset at 5:09 p.m. is five minutes later than this week's earliest sunset.
Stargazers can enjoy the sight of the moon and the Pleiades cluster gracing the western sky after sunset on New Year's Eve. The museum clarified that the latest sunrise doesn't align with the winter solstice either, occurring instead from Jan. 8 to Jan. 19, when the sun rises at 6:41 a.m., six minutes later than on the solstice.