Hyderabad to witness Geminid meteor shower; here’s how to watch the peak

Geminids travel 78,000 mph which is over 1,000 times faster than a cheetah, about 250 times faster than the swiftest car in the world, and more than 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.

Hyderabadis are all geared up to see the Geminid meteor shower, one of the year’s most extensive meteor showers. This year, the Geminids will peak on December 14 and 15, with nearly 150 meteors per hour approaching Earth, according to Time and Date.

And you will be able to witness them with the naked eye. Per the website www.timeanddate.com, the visibility will be excellent from 7:47 pm to 11:13 pm on Wednesday. However, visibility is based on various factors, including weather and astronomical conditions.

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According to a NASA document, Geminids travel 78,000 mph which is over 1,000 times faster than a cheetah, about 250 times faster than the swiftest car in the world, and more than 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.

Here’s how to see Geminids:

You don’t need special equipment or skills to view a meteor shower. However, a clear sky and lots of patience are mandatory. Due to light pollution, people may not be able to see some of them.

1. Find a secluded viewing spot away from the city lights. Once at the venue, your eyes may take 15 to 20 minutes to get used to the dark.

2. Once you have found your viewing spot, lie down on the ground and look at the sky.

3. You can even use an interactive meteor shower sky map or the table https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/geminids.html to find the direction of the radiant. The higher the radiant is above the horizon, the more meteors you will see.

What is the Geminid meteor shower?

The meteor 3200 Phaethon causes the Geminid meteor shower. When the Earth passes through the dusty trail left behind by the meteor 3200 Phaethon, some of the meteoroids left by the meteor burn up in our planet’s upper atmosphere, appearing to us as the Geminid meteor shower.

The shower owes its name to the constellation Gemini because the meteors seem to emerge from this constellation in the sky.