Geminid meteor shower to offer dazzling spectacle on Dec 14

Washington, Dec 10 (ANI): This December seems to be a great month for astronomers and all those who want to gaze the night sky.

The Geminid meteor shower will be at its best a few hours before dawn on December 14, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.

The Geminids are one of the most reliable meteor showers. This year, sky watchers can expect to see dozens of meteors per hour, rising to more than 100 meteors per hour at the shower's predicted peak at 5 a.m. CST.

They will also be able to see meteors on the night of December 13, but viewing will improve after midnight when the waxing gibbous Moon sets.

High-resolution images and high-definition video animation of the Geminid meteor shower are available online.

Geminid meteors appear to fall from near the star Castor, one of the 'heads' of the constellation Gemini, the twins. The meteors are not related to Castor. They are debris from an asteroid called Phaethon.

The shower recurs each year when Earth passes through this debris strung along Phaethon's orbit around the Sun.

To watch the meteor shower, lie on a blanket or reclining chair at a dark spot with an open view of the sky and no city lights nearby. (ANI)