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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Meteor shower at its peak tonight

Meteor shower at its peak tonight

Published Dec 13, 2019 12:00 am
By Alexandria San Juan  Stunning celestial spectacles will be dazzling the country's night skies this weekend during the peak of the annual Geminid meteor shower. A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky above Leeberg hill during the Perseid meteor shower in Grossmugl, Austria .(Reuters|MANILA BULLETIN) (REUTERS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration earlier said that the annual Geminid meteor shower will be active from December 7 to 17. The observation of its peak activity is on the night of December 14, Saturday, until the early morning hours of December 15, Sunday, PAGASA announced. "Under a dark and cloudless sky and just after midnight of its peak activity, meteors or 'falling stars' can be seen at an average rate of 40 or more meteors per hour," it added. According to PAGASA, the constellation of Gemini, the Twin, is easy to spot through its two bright stars Castor and Pollux, which are just to the left of constellations Orion and Auriga. It explained that the Geminids shower is significantly different from other meteor showers as it does not originate from a comet but from an asteroid, the 3200 Phaethon. PAGASA noted that meteors from this shower are very rocky and gritty and slightly easier to see compared to other showers.
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