Geminids: where to see the last meteor shower of the year
Nature is wise and celebrates, in its own way, the end of another passing year. He does it with geminids, December's great meteor shower. As always, we have to wait until almost the last moment to find out what probability do we have of enjoying them live and direct , due to weather conditions. And that moment has arrived.
Active between December 4 and 17, the geminids will reach your peak activity at 19:00 UT on December 14 . But the nights from Friday 13 to Saturday 14 December, and from 14 to Sunday 15, will be the best times for observation since the Gemini constellation is well located from 10:00 p.m. onwards, they explain from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands. (IAC).
WILL THE GEMINIDAS BE SEEN IN SPAIN?
From the IAC they take the colors to this meteor shower , of which they say, is the most reliable and punctual: " The Geminids never fail. The activity of the last ten years has always exceeded 100 meteors per hour (ZHR, zenith hourly rates), placing it at the top of the annual ranking of meteor showers."
However, despite the commitment of the Geminids to make their star appearance, several factors will hinder their vision. For example, the full moon, which "will only allow us to observe the brightest Geminids: it is convenient to fix our gaze on an area of the sky and keep it there, at least for a few minutes to be able to 'detect' a Geminid ". So, wherever you go to hunt them, dress warmly and be patient.
In any case, we continue to be the hemisphere where they can be seen the most "from the northern hemisphere the activity will be greater than from the southern one, because the radiant will be at greater height above the horizon ". Which indicates that since the Nordic countries and their southern skies will be able to observe more meteors.
Geminids 2019: the last meteor shower of the year arrives
“Since 2012 we have followed the Geminids from the Teide Observatory on time and they have always offered us a big show . This year, the presence of the full Moon will make it difficult to see the faintest meteors. Our recommendation is observe early in the evening when the Moon is still low above the horizon , so the brightness of the sky will be less. The Geminids, unlike the Perseids, they are slow meteors and therefore, it's easier to catch them . Despite the cold, it is always worth trying to observe the Geminids“, comments Miquel Serra-Ricart (IAC).
LIVE STREAMING
As usual, if we do not have the option to move to a sky free of light pollution, we can tune in to the channel sky-live.tv the night of December 14, broadcast from the Teide Observatory, in Tenerife, in collaboration with the European project EELabs. The appointment is next Saturday **December 14 at 20:00 UT-local (21:00 CET)**.