How to see the meteor shower with 120 ‘shooting stars’/h – 12/13/2023 – Science

One of the main meteor showers of the year is expected to reach its peak on the nights of this Wednesday (13) and Thursday (14). The Geminids phenomenon can be seen from all parts of Brazil.

There isn’t exactly a region of the country that is more favorable for viewing, according to Filipe Monteiro, astronomer at the National Observatory in Rio de Janeiro.

“But further north is more privileged, especially the Northern Hemisphere itself, the North of Brazil, because the Gemini constellation will be visible in the sky for longer.”

When should it occur?

Every year, the phenomenon begins in November and lasts until December, when it intensifies.

The peak is expected to occur between the nights of this Wednesday (13) and Thursday (14), especially on this second day.

How to see the meteor shower?

The meteor shower, which is generally yellow in color, can be seen from across the country and with the naked eye. Just be lucky the skies are clear.

According to astronomer Marçal Evangelista, from the National Observatory, viewing conditions are favorable as the Moon will only be 1% full.

Places away from urban lights are more suitable for viewing. Spend some time there — NASA estimates at least half an hour — to get used to the dark.

There are interactive maps online, like Interactive Meteor Shower Sky Map, and apps, like Star Walk 2
(Google Play; Apple Store) SkyView (Google Play; Apple Store) and Sky Map (Google Play; Apple Store), which can help. One should look at the constellation Gemini.

“The higher in the sky, the greater the height of the Gemini constellation in the sky, the better the visibility of the meteors”, says Filipe Monteiro. “This will happen between 0 and 2 am, when the constellation Gemini will be as high in the sky as possible.”

According to Monteiro, the most important thing is to look for a region with almost no visual pollution. “The main thing is to go to a place with little light pollution, because in big cities, in urban centers, the brightness of streetlights and public lighting is unlikely to allow meteors to be contemplated”, says the astronomer.

What is a meteor?

Meteoroids are dust particles or fragments of comets or asteroids. When a meteoroid enters our atmosphere, a flash is generated and is called a meteor.

Meteoroids are called meteoroids that hit the Earth because they did not disintegrate upon entry into the atmosphere.

They pass through the sky at a speed of 35 kilometers per second.

What is the origin of the Geminid phenomenon?

The meteor shower comes from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

According to NASA, 3200 Phaethon takes about 1.4 years to orbit the Sun and there is a possibility that it is a “dead comet” or a new type of object called a “rocky comet.”

The discovery of asteroid 3200 Phaethon, whose diameter is 5.1 kilometers, occurred on October 11, 1983. According to the American space agency, astronomer Fred Whipple was the one who noticed Phaethon’s relationship with meteors.

“Geminids is because the meteors appear to emerge from the constellation Gemini,” says Filipe Monteiro, from the National Observatory, in Rio de Janeiro.