Geminids-2018: where and how to see the most beautiful meteor shower

Geminids are a meteor shower that can be observed from Earth every year in mid-December. This time, astronomers say, the stars will fall particularly beautiful.

Фото: Depositphotos

In mid-December, the inhabitants of the Earth will be able to see the last meteor shower of this year - the Geminids shower. The greatest intensity of the starfall will occur on the night of December 13-14, writes Vox.

Interestingly, the Geminids meteor shower will not be typical. We will witness the breaks of the asteroid flow in the sky.

What is a meteor shower

If you go outside and lift your head up, you will see pieces of debris from the asteroid Phaeton 3200, burning in the night sky.

The asteroid is small - only 3 miles (4,8 km) wide - and also stony. It behaves like a comet, and not like an asteroid. The 3200 Phaeton is a rare asteroid that forms a tail. Some scientists suggest that this is a comet rather than an asteroid.

Its tail is likely due to its orbit, which brings it closer to the sun (in Greek mythology, Phaethon is the son of Helios, the sun god). The sun's heat erodes the surface and creates a trail of debris. For this reason, the Phaeton 3200 is sometimes called the “stone comet”.

What's more, these asteroid pieces are denser, meaning they burn more slowly. They also tend to be a little brighter than a typical meteor. “The brightest ones often break up into numerous luminous fragments,” explains Greenwich at the Royal Observatory.

How and when can the Geminids meteor shower be seen?

The best time to browse, according to Sky and Telescope magazine, right before dawn on Friday, December 14. This is the peak.

It looks like the Geminids come from the constellation of Gemini, but since they shoot in all directions, all you need to do to see them is to look up. Give your eyes some time to get used to the dark.

How to take pictures of the Geminids?

For simple observation of the Geminid meteor shower, no equipment is needed, but if you want to take a nice picture of the star stream, you may need more than just an iPhone, writes Time. Use a tripod, aiming the camera toward the Gemini constellation, manually focus the wide-angle lens, use the remote shutter trigger or self-timer and NASA's 500 rule to calculate the optimal exposure time.

“Take the 500 number and divide it by your lens length in millimeters,” NASA officials said in a Tumblr report. - The resulting number is the time in seconds during which you can keep your shutter open before seeing the star tracks. For example, if you use an 20 mm lens, 25 seconds (500 divided by 20) is the maximum you can set the exposure time before the star tracks start appearing on your photos. ”

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