According to the positioning in Hanoi on Time and date, the peak period of the iceberg Geminid will start from 6:51 p.m. on December 14 and end at 8:53 a.m. on December 15.
The ice storm Geminid is known as the most active ice storm of the year, with 100 to 150 icebergs per hour. However, this year, ice rain has only reached its peak a few days before the full moon day of December on December 18, meaning the full moon could hinder viewing any bright ice stars.
space said NASA will broadcast live the extremely strong ice rain, starting at 9am on December 14, using ice camera cameras at the space agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The full moon is about 80% complete and can reduce visibility to 30 to 40 star points per hour. The live broadcast can be seen on NASA's Meteor Watch Facebook page.
The iceberg Geminid is named after the Gemini constellation, where it seems to have originated. The blue meteorite is the debris of an ancient satellite called 3200 Phaethons, leaving a piece of debris as it rotates around the Sun. Once a year, the Earth passes through the dust path of an object, creating a spectacular iceberg that most of the world can see.
However, there has been some debate about the exact nature of 3200 Phaethons. While some astronomers confirm its trajectory and similarities with the main belt satellite Pallas make it a sub planet, others believe it is actually an extinct brocade, with observations showing a small amount of matter leaving the surface of Phaethon.
NASA wrote in the statement: "Despite Phaethon's nature, observations show that the Geminid iceberg is denser than the meteorite from other ice rains, allowing them to fly 47km above the Earth's surface before burning. Meteorities from other iceric floods, such as Perseid, were burning much higher.
The iceberg Geminid, which travels at 125,500 km/h, is best observed in the Northern Hemisphere, where the iceberg rainfall point - or the point in the sky where meteorite formation occurs - is located near the Song Tu star cluster in the northern sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Geminid iceberg's starting point is closer to the horizon, meaning less Geminids can be seen at more southern locations.
If you miss the peak of tonight's Geminid ice storm, don't worry - the ice storm will continue to operate until December 18. If you plan to watch ice and rain outdoors, remember to wrap a towel and give your eyes time to adapt to the darkness.
