Astronomy enthusiasts in the country can watch out for the Geminid meteor shower this month, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.
According to Pagasa, Geminid is one of the most spectacular annual showers as it sometimes exceeds 100 meteors per hour.
“The Geminid peaks on Dec. 14 to 15, with an average rate of 60 showers per hour,” the state weather agency said.
Pagasa said Geminid is active from Dec. 6 to 19, but the best time to watch is in the morning of Dec. 15.
“The best time to look is during the early morning hours between 2 a.m. and dawn,” Pagasa said.
“Observers won’t need binoculars or a telescope, the naked eye is usually best for seeing meteors which often streak more than 45 degrees across the sky,” it added.
The radiant of the Geminid shower is located near Castor, one of the two bright stars in Gemini. Radiant pertains to a point in space from which a meteor shower appears to originate. – Helen Flores