In the past ten years, Geminis have always said goodbye, with more than 100 meteors per hour, like Perseus and quadrants, ranking first in the annual ranking of meteor showers.
In 2020, its activity will take place between December 4th and 17th, although the maximum peak is expected to be at 00:50 on December 14th (UT time, another occurrence on the peninsula). Therefore, the nights of December 12-13 and December 13-14 will be the best time to observe them.
The nights from December 12th to 13th and December 13th to 14th will be the best time to observe the stellar showers in Gemini, preferably in a clear place away from the city lights
It seems that there is starlight flowing in the constellation of Gemini, it has its light, its name comes from Gemini, and it is located near the constellation of Orion. This year, the new moon will be accompanied by observations, so we can enjoy this meteor shower to the fullest.
It is convenient to fix your gaze in the sky area and keep it for at least a few minutes so that you can “detect” Gemini. We must place ourselves in a dark place, away from the light pollution generated by the city, and maintain a clear vision. It is recommended to lie on the ground and wear warm clothes. The most important thing is: you have to wait patiently.
Gemini is a shower that can be seen from both hemispheres. Despite the fact that the activity from the northern hemisphere is larger than the activity from the south (because the radiation will be higher than the horizon), a large number of meteors will also be observed from the southern sky.
These meteors or “shooting stars” are actually small dust particles of different sizes (from millimeters to a few millimeters in diameter) left by comets or asteroids (in this case, the ancestor should be asteroid (3200) Phaethon) and their Orbit the sun.
For those who cannot enjoy it live, the event will be broadcast live from the Observatory of the Canary Islands through the channel Sky Live TV In cooperation with the Canarias Institute of Astronomy (IAC) and other organizations.
Total Solar Eclipse in the Southern Hemisphere
Although residents of the northern hemisphere look at Gemini, some privileged individuals in the southern hemisphere in the Chilean and Argentine panhandles will be able to enjoy a spectacular total solar eclipse on December 14.
Throughout the trajectory, the sky will darken, the moon will completely cover the sun, and only the thin solar atmosphere or corona will be visible. The total solar eclipse will “enter” the Chilean town of Saavedra from the Pacific Ocean, passing through Salina del El, Argentina. Ye (Salina del Eje) went straight to the Atlantic Ocean.
At each point of a shadow belt about 90 kilometers wide across Chile and Argentina, a total solar eclipse of December 14 can be seen
The average width of the entire path is 90 km, and without considering the influence of the local climate, anyone on the centerline of the trajectory will have about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
Outside of this trajectory in Chile and southern Argentina, observers will still be able to see part of the solar eclipse, which will cover part of the solar disk.
From anywhere in the world, activities can also be tracked online through various social networks.This NASA will provide coverage in Spanish The eclipse was broadcast live in South America.He also provides some tips to help you Security watch Those who can see the incident with their own eyes.
The total trajectory of the total solar eclipse in Chile and Argentina on December 14, 2020. /NASA
Super conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
The third major astronomical event in December is the great union of Jupiter and Saturn. In the past few months, they have gradually approached in the sky, but it will not be until this month that they reach the minimum distance between them, especially on December 21.
During the major planetary conjunction on December 21, the Jupiter Belt, Saturn’s rings and some of its moons can be observed through the telescope at the same time
Alfred Rosenberg explained: “The line of sight between Jupiter and Saturn will be as small as 1/10 degree, or equal, that is, 6 minutes of arc, that is, 1/5 of the average diameter of the sun and the moon.” Astrophysicist IAC communicator.
“In fact,” he added, “their distance is so small that they can be observed simultaneously through a telescope to distinguish the bands of Jupiter, Saturn’s rings and some of their moons. However, the distance between the two planets The actual distance will be approximately five times greater than the distance from the earth to the sun.”
It is easy to appreciate this event with the naked eye, because after sunset, they will disappear from the same horizon as our stars do within a few hours, so pay attention to the sky every day after sunset.
In order to promote and guide activities related to this activity, Federation of Spanish Astronomical SocietiesIn cooperation with various institutions, a collection of observatories, amateur astronomers and universities on its website, these institutions are organized to spread this great “Meeting of giants“.
The plan of combining Jupiter and Saturn with moons. /Spain Federation of Astronomical Societies