Every year in December, sky lovers are treated to the most spectacular astronomical show, the Geminids Meteor Shower. This time too, on the night of 13–14 December, people in India will be able to see 100 to 120 shooting stars per hour, provided the sky is clear and dark. According to astronomers, this is considered to be the most reliable and bright meteor shower of the year.
The Geminids occur when Earth passes through a cloud of dust left by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This makes it different from other meteor showers, as most showers form from comet debris, whereas the Geminids come from an asteroid source. For this reason their meteors are brighter, slower moving and often look like fireballs.
According to astronomers, the best time to see it in India is between midnight on December 13 and 4 am on December 14, with the peak activity occurring around 2 am. At such times, the constellation Gemini rises high in the eastern sky, due to which the meteor rate increases.
This astronomical show will be visible from every part of India, but the best experience will be available where there is less light pollution. Villages, towns, open fields, hilly areas, sea shores, away from cities, dark areas are better places to see it. Shooting stars can be seen from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Jaipur etc., but city lights reduce visibility considerably.
To see Geminids, no special equipment like telescope or binoculars is required. Rather, these tools limit your view. Simply lie down on a mat, see as much of the sky as you can, give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to darkness, turn down the brightness of the mobile screen to very low levels, wear warm clothes considering the cold of December, meteors seem to emanate from the constellation Gemini, but they can shine in any part of the sky.
There will be a waning moon in the sky, which will make the night darker and the meteors more clearly visible. According to experts, this could prove to be one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year 2025. Some meteors become bright fireballs and leave a streak for a few seconds, while some pass like fine luminous lines, both scenes are extremely charming.
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