Bengaluru to witness dazzling Geminids showers. Here's how and where to watch
1 min read . Updated: 13 Dec 2022, 07:44 AM IST
PremiumThe Geminids showers will peak between 2 am and 3 am with over 100 meteors approaching earth
Bengalurians are all set to witness an all-colourful dazzling sky in the early hours of Wednesday as the annual Geminid meteor shower is set to peak before dawn.
The Geminids showers will peak between 2 am and 3 am with over 100 meteors approaching earth and Bengaluru will be able to witness all of them with naked eye. However, a lot depends on how clear the sky will be.
According to a Nasa document, Geminids travel 78,000 mph (35 km/s). This is over 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.
Here's how to view the Geminids showers:
- Though 100-150 meteors will pass by in an hour, Weather Channel predicts that people in Bengaluru will not be able to see all of them owing to light pollution
- Meanwhile, areas like Hessarghatta, Bannerghatta, Devarayanadurga and Kolar near Bengaluru might offer a good view of the meteor showers.
- Once you get to the destination of your choice, find a spot with no buildings.
- Reach there 30 minutes before the shower starts to get you eyes adjusted to the dark
- Fortunately, you will not require any equipment. In fact, even telescopes are not recommended because they limit the field of view.
- The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium has planned special arrangements at the planetarium on December 13 to view the Gemenids.
What are Geminids showers?
The Geminid meteor shower can be traced back to dusty debris left behind by the asteroid or possible 'rock comet' 3200 Phaethon that Earth passes through each December. This 3.6-mile (5.8-kilometer) wide space rock comes closer to the sun than any other named asteroid and is considered a strange hybrid somewhere between an asteroid and comet. This is because while 3200 Phaethon is composed of rock (like an asteroid) rather than ice (like a comet), it brightens when it approaches the sun once around every 524 Earth days similar to the behavior of a comet, not an asteroid, as per Space.com.
This year, the Geminids have been active since Dec. 4, and will end on Dec. 17.
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