The calendar year of 2020 is passing by and with barely a few weeks to start the New Year 2021. But the disastrous events and pandemic aside, this year has seen a lot of interesting celestial activities. As 2020 concludes, how can we miss out on the annual meteor showers in December, the Geminids Meteor Shower. This annual display of meteors is already active and will be at peak during December 13-14. Ahead of this celestial event, we tell you all details about the time, date and how to watch it. December 2020 Celestial Events’ List: Full Moon, Geminid & Ursid Meteor Shower, Solar Eclipse, ‘Kissing Planets’ & More, Here’s Your Stargazing Guide for the Month.
What is Geminid Meteor Shower?
The Geminids are one of the oldest meteor showers which date almost 200 years back. The first recorded observation of these showers goes back to the year of 1833. A Geminid Meteor Shower is caused by an object 3200 Phaethon, which is an Apollo asteroid one of the closest ones to the Sun. These meteors appear to come from the constellation of Gemini thus they get the name Geminid. It is one of the most spectacular celestial activities as almost 100 to 120 meteors can observed at their peak.
Geminid Meteor Shower Date and Time
The meteors from this shower are slow moving and can be seen in December a few days before the peak, say around December 6–14. The peak dates for highest intensity of Geminid Meteor Shower is during December 13-14. In India too, the meteors can be seen on the nights of these peaking dates. The best time to watch the meteors is after midnight and pre-dawn. Shooting Stars in Broad Daylight! From New York to Ontario, Fireball Meteor Shower Lights Up the Sky Across the East Coast of US and Canada During the Day (Watch Videos).
How to Watch Geminids?
Geminids are active all night, so if you stay remotely away from the bustling city, then you can even spot them around 10 PM local time. But the best time to watch them is pre-dawn say around 2 AM. Head to a relatively quiet place with little or no light pollution. You will need some time to adjust to the night sky and once you get comfortable with the star positions, you will just have to gaze into the darkness to spot some shooting stars. Once you see one or two stars, you can figure out the direction in which they are seen and can enjoy the spectacle.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2020 05:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).