Geminids meteor shower, What is it and where can you watch it? Find the Details Here!
This December the world is set to witness the dazzling view of the Geminids meteor shower from the dates 13-14. You can have a glimpse of the soaring Geminids in a clear sky and away from the bright city lights, and pollution.
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Geminids Meteor Shower: Causes
When the little fragments of comets known as Meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere at an extremely high speed, caused by gravity, they burn up, and the glowing flames give it a spectacular “shower” like look.
As per NASA, “Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids. When these objects come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.”
How do Geminids originate?
Geminids are “one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers” as per NASA's Observations also show that if their peak coincides with the new moon, and the weather is clear, we can see around 100-150 meteors per hour. This year, however, the moon is bright, so only 30-40 meteors per hour will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere.
“But the Geminids are so bright that this should still be a good show,” NASA says.
The Geminids, unlike most meteor showers, don't originate from a comet, but from an asteroid known as the 3200 Phaethon.
Discovered on October 11, 1983, the 3200 Phaethon is named after the Greek mythology character Phaethon, son of the Sun God Helios.
After taking a complete round of the sun for 1.4 years the rocks on its surface heat up and break off as it moves closer to the sun
On passing the debris trail, the Earth gets the fortunate opportunity to watch the Geminids shower show.
Origin of the term Geminids?
The term "Geminids" comes from the constellation "Gemini' as it is the location from where the meteor shower appears.
According to NASA, “The constellation for which a meteor shower is named only serves to aid viewers in determining which shower they are viewing on a given night.
The constellation is not the source of the meteors. Also, you should not look only to the constellation of Gemini to view the Geminids – they are visible throughout the night sky.”
How to Get a glimpse of the Geminids Meteor Shower.
Though the glow of a bright gibbous moon might wash out some of the glittery meteor streaks this year, successful viewing of the from higher locations far away from the lights of cities is possible.
Due to the high amount of pollution, the scenic meteor showers might look faint and fuzzy from India, but areas that are free from this do not need to use any special equipment to view the showers.
You need to give your eyes enough time to adjust to the darkness, about 30 minutes, and should try to stay away from your phones, as looking at bright screens affects night vision.
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