The Geminid meteor shower: What is it and can you watch it?

It’s December and the stunning Geminids are back again to light up the sky. A treat to avid sky-gazers and everyone else alike, the Geminid meteor shower began on December 13 (although not clearly visible then) and will last till the 17th. It is only towards the last few nights of the shower that it will be visible to us in its full glory. Said to be the highlight of any meteor year, the Geminids are highly anticipated on an annual basis. Here is all you need to know about this celestial event. 

What is a meteor shower? 
When a comet is passing by close to the sun, the heat causes some parts of it to vaporise. As the comet moves along its orbit, these vaporise pieces are left behind. Eventually, when the earth passes through the path of the comet, the debris burns up in the earth’s atmosphere and creates streaks of light. This is what is known as a meteor shower. 

What are the Geminids? 
The Geminids are a unique meteor shower which occur towards the end of the year. It is caused by debris from a celestial object known as 3200 Phaethon. Geminids do not arise from a parent comet in particular: This is what makes them distinct They are also denser in comparison to others which gives them the ability to come extremely close to the earth’s surface (around 29 miles) before burning up. The very first observance of this shower is dated back to the mid 1800s. Ever since then, it has only intensified from only 10-20 meteors visible per hour at first, to 150 visible now during the peak.  

How and when can you witness this meteor shower? 
During the course of its occurrence, the best time to catch the shower is between 1:00 am and 4:00 am. It will be best visible to those residing in the Northern Hemisphere, but will also be seen by most of the world, including India. However, people in the Northern Hemisphere will be witness to more Geminids as compared to the rest. NASA is making it possible for everyone to witness this shower through a livestream on its Meteor Watch Facebook page. They are using a meteor camera to capture the phenomenon from its Marshall Space Flight Centre in Huntsville, Alabama.