Our universe is a home to so many mysteries and phenomenon. The more we try to understand it the more mysterious it becomes.
Our sky is going to provide us with a beautiful view tonight as it will be lit up with something called “Geminid meteor shower”. It’s said that the shower is brought to the atmosphere of Earth every year in December and this time it’s happening on Dec 13 and 14. The cause of the phenomena is said to be an asteroid called Phaethon and it was first recorded in 1862.
What is Geminid meteor actually?
After its discovery in October 1983, the meteor got its name from the Greek myth about the son of Helios, the sun god, because it closely approaches the sun.
Phaethon as the closest asteroid to sun takes 1.4 years to orbit it. As the asteroid heats to about 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit on closest approach to the sun, it sheds dusty debris. These particles end up showing a beautiful meteor shower after they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Isn’t that fascinating?
When to watch it?
People living in urban and more polluted areas might be little unlucky as they’ll need to drive out to a place with the clearer sky to witness the phenomena.
According to NASA, the best time to view it is 2 AM local time.
India will get its best view as it falls in the Northern Hemisphere. Just focus your eyes to the darkness and you will soon witness the magic happening in the sky.
