You can’t miss the biggest meteor shower of the year. Find here all the details of this astronomical show.

The Geminid Meteor Shower 2021 , since the beginning of December, represents all the illusion of astronomy lovers to appreciate a unique show from beginning to end. With a maximum of 130 meteors per hour, this event, which is already the favorite in various parts of the world, reaches its peak at dawn on Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th.

The Geminids are so named, according to information from NASA , because they seem to arise from the same place in the sky – radiating – in some sector of the constellation Gemini, about 30 degrees northwest of Orion.

“Rich in green fireballs, the Geminids are the only rain that I will face the cold nights of December”said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, located at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Where will the Geminid Meteor Shower be seen?

The meteor shower can be seen from anywhere in the world, but especially from the northern hemisphere. The celestial point where the Geminids seem to originate is descending more and more by the horizon, for that reason the observers of the southern hemisphere are the least benefited.

During peak nights, the Moon will be bright in its first quarter phase, making it difficult to see more fragile meteors. In the middle of the morning, it will hide, at that time it will be necessary to take advantage.

“Since 2012 we have been punctually following the Geminids from the Teide Observatory and they have always given us a great show. This year no one should miss the rain. The ideal moment is at the end of the night when the Moon, which will be waxing gibbous, will hide below the horizon ”, commented Miquel Serra-Ricart, administrator of the Teide Observatory at the IAC.

This meteor shower, unlike the Perseids, in Serra-Ricart’s words, are slow meteors and therefore easier to ‘catch’ them.

When and what time to see the Geminid meteor shower 2021?

The phenomenon begins on December 4 and ends on the 17th of the same month, however, its peak activity will be recorded at dawn on Monday, December 13 and Tuesday, December 14.

These are the indicated times to start seeing the meteor shower during the main nights:

How to see the Geminid meteor shower?

“If it’s not cloudy, stay away from bright lights, lie on your back and look up. Remember to let your eyes adjust to the dark; you will see more meteors that way. Take into account that this adjustment may take approximately 30 minutes ”, recommends the website of the US space agency.

In addition, NASA says that we should not look at the cell phone screen, because we will ruin the night vision. Getting away from the lighting of the cities is a key factor, otherwise we will only observe “a handful” at night.

NASA Live Stream

Using the technology of a meteor camera at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the United States space agency offers a live broadcast from its Facebook account starting at 8:00 p.m. CST ( 9.00 pm Peruvian time).

What is the origin of the Geminids?

This 2021 Geminid meteor shower comes from 3,200 Phaethon, an Apollo-type asteroid with a radius of 2.55 km and an orbital period of 524 days, although some astronomers consider it an extinct comet.

Normally, the progenitors of meteor showers are comets . Therefore, the fact that an asteroid is responsible for this type of phenomenon has been a mystery to astronomers since it was discovered in 1983.

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