Sky view from Gemini: Now come the fireballs

Monday 6 December 2021

Heavenly view from Gemini
Now it’s the fireballs

Advent is also a time of falling stars: from today you can see Geminids again in the dark sky. These are meteorites penetrating the atmosphere at a speed of 126,000 kilometers per hour. At its peak, the spectacle presents as many as 150 fallen stars every hour.

Stargazers who are curious about the stars now have a chance once again to witness the spectacle of a shooting star when the night sky is clear. Gemini, named after the constellation Gemini, appears. From the sixth to the sixteenth of December they will feel themselves in the sky. As the name suggests, Gemini appears to flow from the constellation Gemini.

The current is expected to peak on the night of December 13 to 14, said Star Friends President Sven Melchert. “With 150 meteors per hour, the Geminids are the richest rivers of the year.” However, the moon does not set until after midnight, so on the morning of December 14, if the weather is right, most glowing meteors will be visible.

Fireballs or fireballs also appear

According to Sternfreunde, those who wish to view the spectacle should look east in the evening. Very bright objects also appear, commonly referred to as bolts or fireballs. The best time to observe is between 9 pm and 6 am. Gemini will then be over the south at night and northwest in the morning. According to the association, the twins actually rise in the evening hours in the eastern sky, so the falling stars can be expected throughout the night.

These are medium-velocity meteorites with speeds of penetration into the atmosphere of 35 kilometers per second, that is, 126 thousand kilometers per hour. This is relatively slow: the Perseids, which light up every year in the August sky, reach 212,000 km / h.

cosmic dust cloud

According to Astrological Friends, the fact that meteorites originate from the constellation Gemini is of course just a perspective effect. The reason for their occurrence is that the Earth is passing through a cosmic cloud of dust. This supposedly came from the little planet Phaethon, which may have broken through and left debris behind. When they penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and can be seen as falling stars in the sky. Research has shown that the effect of Phaeton dust, which is unusual for asteroids, can be explained by the ice beneath its surface.

Another peculiarity of the Geminids is that in the hours of the falling stars at a maximum, the faintest meteors light up first and only then the brightest meteors. Those who believe in making a wish come true at the sight of a star should look forward to these shining Geminis—especially in the run-up to Christmas.