While the Perseids iceberg rain in August dominated press headlines thanks to warm summer weather conditions that were favorable for observation, in the eyes of professional astronomers, the Geminids were truly the "king" of sky light shows.
Despite the harsh cold air of winter, experts affirmed that this is the most anticipated astronomical phenomenon of the year and encouraged viewers to prepare warm clothes so as not to miss this exciting moment.
According to recorded observation data, the Geminids iceberg has actually begun to operate at a dispersed level since December 4. However, its intensity is increasing day by day and will officially "land" the strongest at this weekend.
The peak time of ice and ice will appear on the night of December 13 and early morning of December 14. This is the golden time when the sky will explode with the largest number of ice stars appearing.
At ideal observation locations such as remote rural areas, where there is no impact of light pollution from urban street lights, viewers can witness a spectacular scene with a density of up to more than 100 star spots flying through the sky per hour.
These rays of light will appear as if they are launched from a central point (called the center or radiant), located near Castor star in the Song Tu star cluster (Gemini) - the origin of the name of this ice storm.
What makes Geminids special and stimulates scientists' curiosity lies in its unique origin. While most other ice rains are generated from the pumping of comets (mainly ice and dust), Geminids are made from the debris pushed out by a rocky satellite named 3200 Phaethon.
The difference in the origin of this material often makes Geminids ice covers brighter, darker and more brilliant than others.
This year, the light festival of the night sky became even more lively thanks to the presence of Mars. This giant planet is in the process of getting closest to Earth (expected to happen in January), so it will shine brightly right near the iceberg appearance area, creating an impressive astronomical scene.
Experts say the Geminids are most favorably observed in the northern half of the bridge. However, astronomers south of the equator still have the opportunity to admire the phenomenon after the center of the world takes shape around midnight.
From Vietnam, viewers can completely monitor the rain and iceberg Geminids if they choose a suitable viewing area. The observation conditions for Geminids this year are quite favorable because they are almost not affected by moonlight.
