Geminids meteor shower dazzles PH sky next week
A spectacle of falling stars will dazzle the Philippines next week.
The Geminids meteor shower will grace the night sky as it becomes active from Dec. 7 to 17.
It gives skygazers the opportunity to see around 40 meteors per hour at its peak on Dec. 13 to 14, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
It noted that the shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini.
"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," PAGASA said.
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.
"There's a big difference between the Geminids and other meteor showers. The Geminids meteors do not originate from a comet, they come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon," PAGASA explained.
PAGASA said there will be shooting stars that are big enough to be seen through the naked eye.
Meteors from this shower are very rocky and gritty and slightly easier to see compared to the other showers, it pointed out.
These slow-moving meteors were first observed in 1862, much more recently than other showers.
Also this month, PAGASA said the Sun will reach the winter solstice on Dec. 21, which means Philippine nights will begin to be longer than daytime.
The winter solstice also signals the Earth's completion of another annual circuit around the Sun.
"This marks the time when the Sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator. It signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere," PAGASA said.