The geminids They are the ugly duckling of the star showers. They are not as well known as the expected Perseids. Perhaps because in the Northern Hemisphere they take place at a time of very cold nights. However, those who dare to go out and look at them can see how that ugly duckling turns into a dazzling swan that sprinkles the sky with bright colored lights.
It is a very intense and striking shower of stars, which this year will take place the nights of December 12 and 13. Unfortunately the crescent Moon will make it difficult to see the weaker meteors, but precisely because of its intensity there will be no problem to enjoy others much more powerful.
You just need a dark place, patience and, if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, warm clothes. Anyway, if because it is during the week or because of the cold you do not dare to go out those two nights, you will be able to enjoy the live that will emit from the Teide Observatory of Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute. It will be from 23:30 UTC (00:30 Spanish peninsular time) on December 13. And okay, it is not the same as seeing it live, but it can be enjoyed with a small stove nearby.
Where do the Geminids come from?
Both the Geminids and other meteor showers are astronomical events formed by the cosmic debris drop, that cross our atmosphere at very high speeds. The friction generated in this process causes them to heat up and vaporize, totally or partially, giving rise to those particles ignited with light trails in its wake.
They often come from comets, whose encounter with the Earth during their journey around the Sun is responsible for the periodicity with which we can observe them. They are seen looking at any point in the sky, although they all have something known as radiant, which is the specific place from which they seem to spring. In fact, this radiant it is usually the one that gives them their name. For example, in the case of the Geminids, it is the constellation Gemini, very close to Orion.
Regarding its origin, this particular meteor shower did not come from a comet, but from an asteroid, the (3200) Phaeton. This is a most curious celestial body, because in 2010 it was found that it could experience an increase in the intensity of its brightness. They were scientists from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), those who noticed this quality, for which they classified the asteroid as a rocky comet. In fact, it combines the qualities of a comet and an asteroid. And it is that, even being an asteroid, it gets so close to the Sun every year and a half that its heat burns the residues of its rocky surface, generating a gravel tail similar to that of comets.
How can we see this meteor shower?
This year, the Crescent moon It will make it a bit difficult for the Geminids to see. But it won’t make it impossible.
The best way to see them will be precisely at the end of the night, when our satellite is lower on the horizon. It will also be important to find a place away from light pollution, although the Christmas lights make it a little more difficult than at other times of the year.
Once the perfect spot is located, all you have to do is fix your eyes at a point in the sky, not necessarily the radiant, and pull patience.
They are expected to be seen up to 100 meteors per hour. The weakest will be hidden by the moonlight, but the rest will offer us a magnificent show full of light and color.
And it is that, although most of the Geminids are yellow, due to the possible presence of iron and sodium in the rubble, this meteor shower can also offer reflections greenish or reddish over the night sky. In general, there will be many and very bright. So getting out into the open on one of these chilly late autumn nights in the north is definitely worth it. If not, we will always have the live images of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. If you are already on vacation, this can be a great plan. And if not, an excuse to get up a little earlier. This time it’s not exactly about staying up late.