Away from city
lights from 4th December, 2015
to 17th December, 2015 people can witness annual celestial
spectacle of Geminid Meteor Showers (Ulka Patham in Telugu/उल्का स्नान) from
pollution free dark clear skies.
As per the International Meteor Organization (IMO)
this meteor shower peak is expected at 11.30
p.m. IST (i.e. 18.00 p.m. UTC) on 14th December 2015 with maximum of up to 120 Meteors per hour
to be visible from clear dark skies.
The annual meteor shower is being observed by people across the world from 4th
December 2015 this year. And one can see it up till 17th December 2015.
Why/How Locate Gemini – What you will
see? – the Twins (Pattern of
Stars)? Why Wait till 9pm? 3 hours after Sunset from 9pm onwards looking between North East and East Direction one can
locate Gemini Constellation (two
bright Stars parallel to each other – in the pattern of Stars appearing/known
since ages as Twins).
It would seem as
if these bright streaks of light are emanating near from star called Castor in Gemini constellation where the radiant of this meteor shower lies. People have to wait till 9.00 pm so that
this constellation rises above horizon. Telescopes
are not required to see Meteor Showers.
How many meteors can be seen in an Hour? Depending on
observer’s location and skies above, many tens of meteors per hour will be
visible with highest rates reaching up to a max of 120 ZHR (Meteors per Hour) on 14th /15th December,
2015.
Directions – Time – Evening, Midnight & Morning
– till 17th Dec – Best Time to See: People can observe this meteor shower by
looking North East and East Direction
from 9.00 p.m. onwards, while they
are visible near to mid of sky by
the time it is Midnight whereas early
Morning walkers can see meteors in
the western sky in the morning before Sunrise.
No comments:
Post a Comment