The meteor shower Geminids It is one of the astronomical events of the year. Its shooting, bright and colorful stars characterize this phenomenon, which was at its peak of activity in the early hours of Sunday, December 14th. At the same time, it can also be observed in the early hours of Monday the 15th, when The weather conditions are favorable.
The Geminids themselves can produce up to 120 meteors per hourmaking it a unique spectacle in the sky. According to experts, the number may vary depending on various factors, such as: Light pollution -That’s why they advise leaving the city to observe them- and that atmospheric conditions -When it is cloudy or raining, visibility is significantly reduced.
The astronomical spectacle consists of fast and multi-colored flashes the Geminids, where the meteors differ in their intensity and sounds made of sodium, calcium, oxygen and other materials.
This meteor shower is different from other similar events such as: Perseids, Quadrantids And Lyrids have a strange origin: They don’t come from a comet. As NASA and other experts explained, Geminids feed on scattered fragments of the so-called asteroid 3200 Phaetonwhich directly contributes to the characteristic light intensity of this meteor shower.
“This material is larger on average, survives longer in our atmosphere and tends to produce brighter meteors. When these metals are heated as they pass through our atmosphere, they produce colors associated with the specific type of metal,” he explained. Rubert LunsfordEditor of the American Meteor Society Magazine, on the National Geographic website.
This phenomenon occurs in December when planet Earth passes through the orbit littered with debris from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. When they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, these particles heat up and catch fire due to strong friction with the air.
Although the optimal time to observe the Geminids was in the early hours of December 14, those who missed this astronomical event have a second opportunity to see them in the sky in the early hours of Monday, December 15th.
This astronomical phenomenon can be observed from different parts of the country, taking into account the climatic factor: according to the SMN (National Meteorological Service) There will be storms and mostly cloudy skies, which may directly affect the visibility of these meteors.
From 9 p.m. From now on, viewers can use different elements to view this meteor shower, which causes an unusual sensation in other parts of the world, such as in the Northern Hemisphere, and has the peculiarity of being seen in between in the Southern Hemisphere 20 and 40 meteors per hour.
The official website of the Galileo-Galilei Planetarium made recommendations to get a “cleaner” look at this phenomenon: “Find a wide, open place and as dark as possible and lie down and look with the naked eye at the upper part of the sky (preferably to the north). Meteor showers can be viewed and enjoyed without binoculars or a telescope (which would only limit the field of vision).”
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