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GeminidMeteorShower2012_JeffDai
Aside from preparing your Christmas presents and gearing up for get-togethers, another exciting thing to do this December is to watch the skies—not to wait for Santa and his reindeer, but to witness the spectacular meteors!

Meteoroids VS Meteors & Meteorites
Meteoroids are small rocks or particles orbiting around the sun. Once a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it vaporizes and becomes a meteor, also known as a “shooting star” or bulalakaw in Tagalog.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), as this space rock falls toward the Earth, the air resistance or drag makes it extremely hot. So what we see is not actually the rock, but the bright streak or the glowing hot air as it approaches the atmosphere.

If a small asteroid or large meteoroid survives its entry or passage through the atmosphere and lands on the surface of the Earth, it is called a meteorite.

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December is an ideal month for astronomy enthusiasts as the Geminids Meteor Shower lights up the sky from December 4 to 17, 2015. Appearing to come from the constellation of Gemini, Geminids meteors do not originate from a comet, but from an asteroid. Meteors from this shower are very rocky and are more visible.

NASA explains that these meteors originated from the Asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which takes 1.4 years to orbit the sun. Phaethon is a small asteroid with a diameter of 5.10 kilometers.

Dubbed as a “dead comet”, the Phaethon does not develop a cometary tail when it passes by the sun. Its spectra look like a rocky asteroid instead.

3200 Phaethon was discovered by the Infrared Astronomial Satellite on October 11, 1983. Due to its close distance to the sun, Phaethon is named after the character in Greek mythology that drove the chariot of Helios (the God of Sun). But it was the astronomer, Fred Whipple, who recognized that the Geminids meteor shower originated from Phaethon.

The Geminids is considered as one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers. So mark your calendars now! Its peak activity is on the late night of December 14 until the early morning hours of December 15. PAGASA says that if good weather permits, an observer can witness around 40 meteors per hour.
Brock1

Viewing Tips
– Get as far away from urban pollution as possible. Find a location with a clear or almost cloudless night sky.
– Search for the darkest patch of sky.
– Clothing matters! Wear clothes that suit cold overnight weather.
– Bring something comfortable for you to sit or lie down.
– It takes time, so be patient.
– Put away the telescope or binoculars, which may reduce the amount of sky you can see at once.
– Relax your eyes. Do not look at any specific spot.
– Avoid looking at your gadgets or any other light source which could disturb night vision.
– If you have to look at something on the surface of the Earth, use a red light.

Sources:
NASA
PAGASA-DOST
www.universetoday.com

After days of monitoring Tropical Cyclone Hagupit, locally named Ruby, the Philippines is free from any weather disturbance inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

However, a low pressure area, estimated at 1,040 kms east of Mindanao, threatens to enter PAR within 24 hours.

State meteorologist Buddy Javier says it has a slim chance of intensifying into a cyclone. However, continuous monitoring will still be implemented for any significant changes that may occur.

Meanwhile, the regions of Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Ilocos will experience isolated light rains and partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies due to the prevailing northeast monsoon or Amihan.

On the other hand, Metro Manila and the rest of the archipelago can expect fair weather conditions today, apart from isolated thunderstorms.

Sea condition is moderate to rough throughout the archipelago, apart from the seaboards of Northern Luzon, where the seas are going to be rough to very rough. Strong to gale force winds are also expected to affect the mentioned seaboards due to the surge of the northeast monsoon.

MTSAT Image from PAGASA
MTSAT Image from PAGASA

ATTENTION: SKYGAZERS

The annual Geminids meteor shower is near peaking. On the night of December 14 (Sunday until the early morning hours of December 15 (Monday), we, folks here in the Philippines, will get to see an average of 40 meteors or “falling stars” per hour.

Active since December 4 until til December 17, the Geminids meteors originate not from a comet, but from an asteroid identified as 3200 Phaethon. It is considered to be one of the finest meteor showers this year.

The Geminids are also known as fireball meteors. These are bright and fast meteors which can persist longer than the usual meteor streak since the fireballs come from larger particles of material.

PAGASA’s Chief of Space Sciences and Astronomy Section Engr. Dario L. Dela Cruz says meteors from this shower are very rocky and gritty and slightly easier to see compared to the other showers.

For first-timers, the best way to view the Geminids meteor shower is under a dark, cloudless sky. No need for special equipment; just find a place away from the city or bright lights. Let your eyes adjust to the dark and take in as much of the sky.