Geminids-2019: 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 starfall this year - the flow of Geminids. The highest starfall intensity will occur on the night of 13 on 14 December, writes USA Today.

What is a meteor shower

If you go outside and raise 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, also rocky. It behaves like a comet, and not like an asteroid. The Phaeton (3200) is a rare asteroid that forms a tail behind it. Some scientists suggest that this is more of a comet than an asteroid.

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Its tail is probably due to an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun (in Greek mythology, Phaeton is the son of Helios, the god of the Sun). The heat of the Sun destroys the surface and creates a trace of debris. For this reason, the Phaeton (3200) is sometimes called the "stone comet."

Moreover, pieces of asteroids are denser, which means that they burn more slowly. These pieces tend to be slightly brighter than a typical meteor.

How and when can the Geminids meteor shower be seen?

The best time to watch, according to Sky and Telescope magazine, is at 9-10 Friday evening, December 13. This is the peak and a great opportunity for children to see a celestial phenomenon similar to a fairy tale.

The Geminids seem to come from the constellation Gemini, but since they shoot in all directions, all you have to do to see them is look up. Give some time to your eyes to get used to the dark.

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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 the length of your lens in millimeters,” NASA officials recommend in a Tumblr message. - The resulting number is the time in seconds that you can keep your shutter open before you see star trails. For example, if you use an 20-millimeter lens, 25 seconds (500 divided by 20) is the maximum at which you can set the exposure time before star traces begin to appear on your shots. ”

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