Biggest Meteor Shower of the Year Is Coming to New York State

A big peak in meteor activity is coming soon, as the skies above the state have been very active during 2024. The American Meteor Society says that you may see up to 150 meteors per hour during this next annual shower, which makes it the biggest of the year.

The event follows a number of other annual showers, as the Orionids will continue to streak through late November. There was also the the Leonids meteor shower, which peaked on the nights of November 16 and 17, though remains through December 2.

Biggest Meteor Shower of the Year Is Coming to New York State

Space.com reports that the Geminid meteor shower will run through December 24, and peaks overnight on December 13 and 14. The Geminid meteor shower is the debris left from the rock comet 3200 Phaethon. The meteor shower gets its name because it can be seen as white or yellowish streaks in the night sky, coming from the direction of the constellation Gemini.

What also makes this event unique is that the Geminids are the product of an asteroid, instead of a comet, according to Space.com

Did a Small Asteroid Strike Poughkeepsie? 

You may remember reports of the bright fireball that was seen all over the eastern part of the country in November 2020. Some outlets, such as the Gothamist, claim the space rock actually crashed somewhere in the area.

Hundreds of reports poured in from witnesses all over the east coast at around 7:22 P.M. that evening. The American Meteor Society says the fireball's visible light trail ended somewhere over Poughkeepsie, according to the reports they received. So, probably no.

Bright Lights and Fireballs

As of now, there is no actual evidence of asteroids striking here. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but there is no "smoking gun" to speak of. Chances are, the fireball simply disintegrated in mid-air.