Stargazers around the world witnessed the spectacular Geminid meteor shower, characterized by its multicoloured splendour. Viewers could spot dozens of meteors each hour in perfect conditions, as long as there was no obstruction from cloudy skies or light pollution. NASA considers the Geminids one of the most dependable annual meteor showers that can be seen with the naked eye worldwide.
The Earth passes through debris trails from asteroids or comets, and as the debris collides with our planet’s atmosphere, it burns up and creates breath-taking streams of light that we call meteors. Geminids are activated by the residual celestial debris left behind by the 3200 Phaethon rock asteroid. Meteor showers are typically fixed with comets, which are ice-based, but asteroids, which are rocky, make the Geminids all the more fascinating, said Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, co-host of The Sky at Night.
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich revealed that the colours of the Geminids include white, yellow, green, red, and blue. The hues are partly influenced by the presence of traces of metals like sodium and calcium in the debris. As the meteors appear to emerge from the constellation Gemini, the meteor shower is called Geminids.
For optimal viewing, Dr Aderin-Pocock said that stargazers should look up at the sky and find the Gemini constellation, from where turning slightly to the left will show the meteors. A dark, open place, free from light pollution, will provide the best viewing conditions. Although the meteor shower attained its peak on Thursday night, it is still visible for a few days in lesser numbers. Stargazers can use stargazing apps to track the meteor shower and bring a friend to cover different parts of the sky
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