One of the year’s biggest and best meteor showers is almost here; people in the UAE will be able to enjoy the Geminids meteor shower without the need for special equipment.
Considered by astronomers to be one of the brightest showers of the year, the Gemenids are fast, bright and colourful. That should make for a space-time spectacle that even the most casual viewer can see.
The Gemenids meteors are almost 200 years old. They reach their annual peak on the night of December 13. Last year, because of the full moon, the meteors only produced 20-30 meteors visible per hour.
This year there should be no such problems, and it’s expected that more than 60-120 meteors should be visible per hour
The Gemenids occur each year, due to the orbit of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which passes the sun every 1.4 years. As the earth passes through the debris field left along the asteroid’s path, we see the meteors burn up in our atmosphere.
The best place to watch the shower does involve getting to a place without light interference, however you should still be able to see them if you live in the city. The shower is expected to peak at 3am early Monday morning – however meteors are expected to be seen as early as 10-11 pm.
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