Geminid meteor shower 2020: All you need to know about the annual celestial event

Sky watchers, it is time
to rejoice as the annual Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak this year on the intervening night of December 13 and 14 and produce a vast
number of meteors.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the meteor shower will begin at 7.30 to 8 pm (CST) on Sunday.

If the sky is clear, one can expect to catch a glimpse of
as many as 150 ‘shooting stars’ per hour on
the night of the peak. Though the Geminids
favours Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, it is also visible from the Southern
Hemisphere.

Just before you enjoy
the event, which is being touted as the ‘best
meteor shower of 2020’ by experts, here are some of the things you need
to know –

Where do the meteors
come from?

Every year, Earth passes
through the orbital path of an object called 3200 Phaethon, which is an asteroid that may have collided with another object in
the distant past to produce debris. This debris burns up our planet’s upper atmosphere
and ends up giving us the meteor shower.

How to view the event?

Meteor showers,
unlike most of the other celestial events, don’t require any special equipment like
binoculars or telescopes. They can be seen with bare eyes. Just find a
comfortable spot to lie on the ground, ideally in a dark-sky area, and look
upwards to enjoy the show. However, don’t forget to give your eyes about half-an-hour
to adjust to the dark before relaxing and viewing the event.