The Geminid meteor shower (which takes place between December 4 and 17 approximately in the northern hemisphere) will reach its maximum on December 14, so you are in time to contemplate what is one of the most active of the year, since that their rate of activity is above 120 meteors per hour and they travel at a speed of 35 kilometers per second for several days, so it is quite likely that, if you look at dark skies, you will see a few streaking through the sky.
On the nights of December 13 to 14 we can observe up to 150 shooting stars per hour (on an optimal night, of course), although the Moon, which will have reached the first quarter phase on December 11, will make observation a bit difficult, at least for the first part of the night. However, given the long and dark nights in December, we will still have around three hours of darkness left to enjoy what this meteor shower has to offer.
Meteorites are fragments of debris that enter the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 70 km per second, vaporizing and causing the rays of light we call meteors. We always highlight the Geminids because they are very bright, moderately fast and they are unusual for being multicolored . They are mainly white, some yellow and some green, red and blue, partly caused by the presence of traces of metals such as sodium and calcium, the same elements that are used to make fireworks have such colorful colors.
Meteor showers are one of the easiest astronomical events to observe, as they are best seen with the naked eye, without the need for telescopes or binoculars, making it the perfect opportunity to get kids and adult beginners excited about astronomy. .
The remains of sand and dust from this meteor shower come from the asteroid (3200) Phaethon -a space rock of 5 kilometers in diameter- which leaves a trail of debris as it passes through the inner planets of the solar system that, when entering contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, they produce flashes that cross the night sky before fleetingly disappearing.
The best time to observe for the Geminid meteor shower is after 2 a.m. because its radiant point, the point in our sky from which the meteors appear to radiate, is highest in the sky at that time.
The radiant point of the Geminids almost coincides with the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini. It is a casual alignment, since this star is located about 52 light years away, while these meteors burn in the upper atmosphere about 100 km above the Earth’s surface, but it can serve as a reference to find the radiant . Of course, remember that it is not necessary to find the radiant point to see the meteor shower. It is a simple astronomical game that can make you more fun. Meteors of this type appear everywhere; It is even possible to have your back to the constellation Gemini and see a meteor from the Geminid shower pass by.
Although the conditions this year are not the best to see the Geminid shower, it will still be a good sight to see in our night skies.
