Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:16 am | Friday, December 13th, 2013
Filipino stargazers will get a chance Friday night to witness one of the year’s most stunning celestial spectacles, the Geminids meteor shower.
Under the dark evening sky, the Geminids, one of the most prolific annual meteor showers, is expected to produce at least 20 meteors and as many as 40 meteors per hour, the weather bureau said on Thursday.
The meteors will be visible from 9 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Saturday in places where the moon is not so bright, said Jose Mendoza, chief of the astronomical publication unit of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
The Geminids, which originate from the constellation Gemini, or “the Twin,” on the eastern horizon left of the planet Jupiter, will peak between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., Mendoza said.
“It will be visible even under the naked eye,” he said.
In its monthly astronomical diary prepared by officer-in-charge Vicente Malano, Pagasa said, “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.”
“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 meteors per hour,” Pagasa said.
In this Dec. 13, 2012, file photo, a meteor streaks across the sky during the annual Geminid meteor shower over Springville, Alaska. The annual Geminids meteor shower—the most intense of the year—will peak Friday night, Dec. 13, 2013. But the best viewing may be early Saturday, once the moon sets. AP PHOTO/AL.COM, MARK ALMOND
There’s a big difference between the Geminids and other meteor showers.
“The Geminids meteors do not originate from a comet, [but instead] come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon,” Pagasa said.
Meteors from the Geminids are “very rocky and gritty” and slightly easier to see compared with other showers, the agency said.
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Tags: astronomy , Geminids , meteor shower , meteors , Philippines
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