We started 2016 with the Quadrantids, the first meteor shower whose maximum took place on January 4. Now, we will end the year with what is considered one of the best meteor showers for its abundance. Will we have good viewing conditions this time?
Unlike other meteor showers, it is not a comet that is the proxy for this event but an asteroid. Its name is Phaethon (with a diameter of just over 5 kilometers) and it is probably an extinct comet whose particles were ejected centuries ago. This “son of the Sun”, since it is the asteroid that comes closest to our star, has an orbital period around the Sun of 3.3 years.
The Geminids usually have an activity rate of 120 meteors per hour if the sky is clear, but this time the Moon will be very close to its full phase, so the conditions will not be the most suitable to see this night show. Its radiant is the constellation of Gemini and, after sunset, it will remain above the horizon throughout the night. Too bad the phases of the Moon cloud this expected meteor shower. Despite this, the event should not be missed.
Considered a meteor shower of high activity comparable to the Quadrantids, it takes place every year between December 7 and 17 , reaching its maximum intensity during the nights of December 13 and 14. The most suitable nights for observation will be those from December 12 to 16, especially between 2 and 6 a.m.
The Geminid meteors from the asteroid Phaeton are bright, low-speed (35 km / s) celestial bodies whose unusual orbit took it very close to Earth on December 10, 2007. Fortunately, its next approach with we will take place in 2017, when it is likely that we can enjoy one of the best Geminid meteor showers.
Finally, we will meet the Ursids who will accompany us from December 22 and who are not usually cited in excess due to their low activity: 10 meteors per hour.
