Bhubaneswar: The annual Geminids meteor shower, which is visible from November end till mid-December every year, added spark to the night sky in Bhubaneswar.
Unlike many other meteor showers, the Geminids shower is clearly visible in the night sky with the naked eye, with up to 150 meteors shooting across the sky when it peaks.
How Geminids got its name
The Geminids shower got its name from the Gemini constellation as the meteors appear to be emanating from these twin stars. However, it is merely an optical illusion as Pollux and Castor, the Gemini twins, are many light years away from us, while the meteors are only a few million kilometres away. The radiant (point of emanation) of the Geminids meteors and the location of the Gemini constellation coincide when seen from the Earth’s perspective, hence the illusion and the name.
What’s also unique about the Geminids is that unlike all other meteors, its origin is not in any comet, but in the mysterious asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, which scientists call a ‘rock-comet’. Usually, when ice-cold comets get closer to the Sun, they leave behind a trail of debris as the water melts. That can’t happen with asteroids as they’re made primarily of rock and metal. Hence, what leads to 3200 Phaethon leaving behind a trail of debris as it gets close to the Sun still remains a mystery. Recent NASA researches hint that it might have something to do with Sodium.
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