A ‘shooting star’ or ‘meteor’ is caused by a tiny particle of dust entering Earth’s atmosphere. As it plunges downward, it experiences collision with air molecules, and the friction generated causes the particle to glow and eventually burn up completely. Most meteors burn up at altitudes of around 100 km. It is an exceptional celestial manifestation for sky observers that the extravagant yearly ‘Geminid’ showers will illuminate the night sky during Dec.13 - 15. The Geminids are beautiful, prolific and reliable shower.
On Dec. 14 and 15, Indians are fortunate to witness the dazzling Geminid meteor showers. Dry, clear air will help a lot with the lunar glare, but it will be difficult to achieve maximum rates of 20 Geminids/hour even at the best sites.
