New Delhi: Most parts of India including the national capital will witness one of the major meteor showers of the year, Geminid, with up to 120 meteors per hour, between midnight and dawn on December 13-14, 2024, according to a website for ‘Time and Time Zones’, timeanddate.com, which is based outside Stavanger, Norway.
However, the viewing experience could be impacted by bright moonlight due to the full moon on December 15. However, as per the American Meteor Society, even as the peak of the Geminid meteor shower this year is slated to coincide with an approximately 90% illuminated Waxing Gibbous Moon, the interference from moonlight will be “little to none”. Hence, most of all, it will be visible from India!
The Geminid meteor shower is one of the most active and reliable annual meteor showers active from December 4 to 17. It peaks around December 13-14, with the radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to originate) rising in mid-evening and highest around 2 a.m.
The Geminids are known for their bright, fast-moving meteors, which often produce fireballs. They originate from 3200 Phaethon, a small asteroid discovered in 1983 that comes closer to the sun than any other named asteroid. 3200 Phaethon won’t come close to Earth until December 14, 2093, when it will pass 1,841,000 miles away.
While the Geminid meteor shower is visible from most parts of the world, the best viewing times and locations depend on one’s location. The Geminids are more active and visible from the Northern Hemisphere. While the Geminids can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, the rates are lower, and the meteors appear lower in the sky.
Some of the best locations for viewing the Geminid meteor shower include:
- Atacama Desert, Chile: One of the darkest places on Earth, offering incredible stargazing opportunities.
- Death Valley National Park, California, USA: A dark-sky park with minimal light pollution, perfect for viewing the Geminids.
- La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain: A UNESCO Starlight Reserve with incredibly clear skies.
Here’s a rough breakdown of the Geminid meteor shower’s visibility in India:
- December 7-10: Low activity, 5-10 meteors per hour
- December 11-12: Moderate activity, 20-40 meteors per hour
- December 13-14: Peak activity, 60-120 meteors per hour
- December 15-17: Declining activity, 10-20 meteors per hour
– global bihari bureau