NARIT urges Thais to watch spectacular annual meteor shower on Sunday night
NARIT says the Geminids meteor shower peaks Sunday night, with up to 150 meteors an hour visible from 8pm until about 2.30am Monday.
The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has urged people to stay up to watch the Geminids meteor shower on Sunday night.
NARIT said the Geminids, with a peak rate of up to 150 meteors per hour, can be seen from 8pm on Sunday until 2.30am on Monday.
The institute said the Geminids occur every year from December 4 to 20, but the period from Sunday night into early Monday is expected to deliver the highest meteor rates.
It said the meteors should become visible when the Gemini constellation rises above the eastern horizon at around 8pm. Viewing should remain good until about 2.30am, when moonlight may begin to interfere.
Most meteor showers originate from comets. However, the Geminids are unusual because their debris comes from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
Phaethon has an unusual, highly elliptical orbit that brings it very close to the Sun, causing it to shed rocky material that produces bright meteors. Some scientists refer to it as a “rock comet” or a “dead comet”.
Geminid meteors are known for being bright and relatively slow compared with other showers, making them easier to spot.
They can also show a range of colours, including white and yellow, and sometimes green, red or blue, depending on trace metals burning up in the atmosphere.
