The Geminids meteor shower, which is seen in mid-December every year, has lit up the night skies once again. According to a report by Forbes on Friday (Dec 15), the meteor peaked on Thursday night. Even though the peak has now passed, the Geminids will continue through December 24. As per the report, the meteor shower was best seen in the Northern Hemisphere.
Next year, there will be three meteor showers peaking in moonless skies- Quadrantids in early January, Eta Aquariids in May, and Perseids in August, the report added.
What are Geminids?
Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid that may have broken off from a larger comet. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), observations show that the Geminids are denser than meteors belonging to other showers, enabling them to get as low as 29 miles above Earth’s surface before burning up.
They are one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
“The Geminids can be seen by most of the world. Yet, it is best viewed by observers in the Northern Hemisphere. As you enter the Southern Hemisphere and move towards the South Pole, the altitude of the Geminid radiant – the celestial point in the sky where the Geminid meteors appear to originate – gets lower and lower above the horizon,” NASA said.
How fast are Geminids?
Geminids travel at a speed of 35km/second which is more than 1000 times faster than a cheetah, about 250 times faster than the swiftest car in the world, and over 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.
“Most meteors appear to be colourless or white, however, the Geminids appear with a greenish hue. They’re pretty meteors!” said Bill Cooke, lead for the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
