If skies are clear, Geminids meteor shower to be visible tonight in B’luru

BENGALURU: The city is all set to witness Geminid meteor showers in the wee hours of Wednesday. The meteor shower will be at its peak between 2 am to 3 am.

The Geminid showers will be visible to residents of Bengaluru, with over 100 meteors approaching Earth and can be seen with the naked eye without the use of a telescope. To witness the amazing dazzling in the sky, the sky should be clear and the moonlight should be low. The Geminids are considered one of the best annual meteor showers as individual meteors are bright and they come fast and furious.

Geminid meteor showers in 2017 (Picture credit:NASA)

What are Geminids showers?

According to the NASA website, “The Geminid shower originates from the debris of 3,200 Phaethon, an asteroid first discovered on October 11, 1983, using the Infrared Astronomical Satellite. Phaethon orbits the Sun every 1.4 years, and every year, Earth passes through its trail of debris, resulting in the Geminids shower. Geminids travel 78,000 miles per hour, over 40 times faster than a speeding bullet”.