Vietnam welcomes the most beautiful meteor shower of the year

Vietnam will have the opportunity to observe the Geminids - the biggest meteor shower of the year with the number of meteors peaking at more than 100 streaks per hour this weekend.

The Geminids meteor shower is always at the top of the meteor showers of the year because of its brilliance and frequency of meteors. It usually appears every year between December 4 and 17. This year, according to the forecast of the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the peak of the meteor shower will occur at 12:00 on December 14 UT, which is 19:00 on the same day Hanoi time.

"The best time to observe in Vietnam is from the night of December 13 to the early morning of December 14," said Dang Tuan Duy, a member of the Ho Chi Minh City Amateur Astronomy Club (HAAC), adding that under ideal observation conditions, the number of meteors can reach 120 streaks per hour, while normally it is 50-100 streaks per hour.

Geminids meteor shower epicenter location. Vietnamese translation: HAAC.

According to Mr. Duy, the epicenter of the meteor shower is the constellation Gemini. This constellation rises gradually from the east at around 8pm and gradually rises until early morning.

Viewers can start observing from around 10pm when the focal point is quite high until dawn. "However, after midnight on December 14, the moon will gradually rise from the eastern horizon, greatly hindering the ability to observe meteors. Furthermore, at this time, Vietnam is under the influence of storms and strong cold air, so observation will be affected," Duy noted.

The Geminids meteor shower originates from the object 3,200 Phaethon, which scientists believe is the nucleus of a comet left over from its journeys and stripped of its outer layers of ice by solar winds. 3,200 Phaethon has crossed the Earth's orbit in the past, leaving behind a trail of dust and rock.

According to VnExpress