The Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak on December 14, 2024, with optimal viewing conditions expected. The National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) reports a maximum observable rate of 120 meteors per hour. This annual event, active from December 4 to 17, originates from the asteroid (3200) Phaethon, which sublimates sodium as it approaches the Sun.
In addition to the Geminids, the Ursid meteor shower will occur from December 17 to 26, peaking on December 22, with a maximum rate of 10 meteors per hour. The Ursids are associated with comet 8P/Tuttle.
On another note, Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the constellation Orion, is the second brightest star in its constellation and the ninth brightest in the night sky. Its surface temperature is approximately 3,000 K, and it is located about 400 light-years from Earth. The star's diameter was first measured in 1920, estimated to be between 419 and 580 million kilometers.
Finally, the Rosette Nebula, located in the constellation Monoceros, is a prominent emission nebula. It contains the open cluster NGC 2264 at its center and spans roughly 100 light-years. This nebula is estimated to be 5,000 light-years away and holds about 10,000 times the mass of the Sun, making it a subject of interest for astrophotography.