Muscat - The skies of the Sultanate of Oman will witness on Thursday the phenomenon of the Geminid meteor shower, which was named after its origin from the constellation Gemini (Gemini), and will reach its peak on December 13 and 14.
Ibrahim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oman Astronomical Society, said that December will witness several astronomical events, including the fall of meteor showers known astronomically as Geminis or Geminis.
He added that these meteors will fall on a night devoid of moonlight at almost all hours of the night.
It is expected that its fall rates will reach 120 meteors per hour, as in 2020, members of the Omani Astronomical Society monitored 1,063 meteors, the result of six hours of monitoring the Geminid meteor shower in an eye-catching scene. Its peak was between 1 and 1:59 am, reaching 227 meteors during One hour.
He explained that the Geminid meteor shower results from the debris of the asteroid known as Phaethon, which was discovered in 1982, unlike the rest of the meteors that come from comets.
Al Mahrouqi pointed out that the debris of this asteroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere every year from December 7 to 17, and this causes the phenomenon of meteors that are characterized by their many colors, indicating that when the Earth’s orbit directly intersects with those remains, the latter burns at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 35 degrees Celsius. Kilometers per second at an altitude of approximately 70 to 100 kilometers in the form of bright meteors, which are relatively slow compared to other meteors, resulting in the formation of wonderful long arcs that appear in yellow, green, or blue, and last for a second or two in the sky.
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The Geminids earn their reputation as one of the best celestial displays each year because they are known for their vibrant and vivid meteors. They stand out as one of the most reliable and active meteor showers annually.
The Geminids reached their peak in mid-December and have a rich history that dates back to the mid-1800s. They started with a modest showing of only 10 to 20 meteors per hour, which initially made them unremarkable.
Over time, a major meteor shower has evolved, and observers can witness a spectacular display of up to 120 Geminids meteors per hour under optimal conditions at its peak. These meteors have a reputation for being bright, moving at high speeds, and frequently displaying a distinctive yellow color.
The best time to catch the Geminids meteor shower is during the night and predawn hours. Thanks to its nearly 24-hour broad maximum, people globally can see this celestial event, according to NASA.
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