The Geminids meteor shower will be visible in UAE skies on the night of December 14. It is expected to be the last meteor shower of the year, also the biggest.
According to the Dubai Astronomy Group, residents will have a chance to see this phenomenon on the night of December 14, when an event is being hosted at Al Qudra Desert between 8PM to 12AM.
“The Geminids are considered to be one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year, with the possibility of sighting around 120 meteors per hour at its peak,” the event website reads.
Unlike most meteor showers, this one is associated with an asteroid, not a comet. The Geminids meteor shower originates from the 3200 Phaethon, the asteroid takes about 1.4 years to orbit the Sun.
Meteor showers are usually best visible on a moonless night where the night skies background the light of the meteors, however due to the illumination of the moon on the night the meteor showers are expected, it may interfere with the visibility, especially with the fainter meteors.
Although the showers are active from November 19 to December 24, it will be at peak visibility on December 14 and 15.
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