The Geminids will light the december sky

 The Geminids will light the december sky

This meteor shower will have its maximum peak of observation in the nights of the 13 and 14 of this month.

The night sky will have some very special protagonists during these nights, when the Geminids, a meteor shower (badly known as stars), habitual during this time of the year, appear on the east to delight to the lovers of this type of phenomena Atmospheric conditions.

The Geminids are composed of fragments of the comet Phaeton, whose orbit coincides with that of Earth during this month; These particles meet the Earth's atmosphere, illuminating itself by the friction with the air. The spectacle gives the impression of being shooting stars, hence the name, wrongly, with which these events are popularly known.

 The meteorites take their name from the quadrant of the sky by which they appear: to the east, and just above the horizon, in the zone of the constellation of Gemini. "In my opinion, it is the best meteor shower of the year, better, even than the Perseids (which can be seen in August), mainly because of its quantity, because at the peak of greater observation can appreciate about 120 per Hour, "explains the astronomer Germán Puerta. 

Puerta adds that another attraction of the Geminids is the hour in which they appear in the sky, because, unlike other meteor showers, they start to appear earlier, starting at eight at night, so it is not A long vigil is necessary to contemplate them.

"The Geminid meteorites are several times denser than the typical cometary dust of other meteor showers. Added to this is its relatively low speed - 35 kilometers per second - and thus have the brightest and longest meteors and cars that can be seen throughout the year. A wonder, "says Puerta.

Those who want to see Geminids, which do not represent any danger to our planet, can do so from any place in the open air, and without having to resort to optical instruments; The ideal is to go to areas without light pollution, away from the lights of the city.

fuente:

http://www.eltiempo.com/estilo-de-vida/ciencia/lluvia-de-estrellas-geminidas/16771360