Year’s largest meteor shower can be watched in Vietnam tonight
People in Vietnam will have the opportunity to witness the largest meteor shower of the year on Monday evening, which is expected to peak in the small hours of tomorrow.
The Geminids meteor shower, which appears between December 4 and 17 each year, will reach its peak, with the highest frequency of up to 100 meteors per hour, at 6:00 pm UTC, or 1:00 am on December 15 in the Southeast Asian country, the International Meteor Organization forecast.
Stargazers in Vietnam can enjoy the spectacular event from 10:00 pm on December 14 to the early morning of December 15 without any fear of interference from the moon, according to Dang Tuan Duy, member of the Ho Chi Minh City Amateur Astronomer Club.
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A perfect spot to witness the phenomenon is described as clear, far from high buildings and city lights, and not being affected by rainy and foggy weather, Duy said.
No specialized tools are needed for the stargazing but warm clothes and extra blankets are recommended to keep the body warm under low temperature at night.
Viewers are advised to let their eyes get used to the dark some 20 minutes before the event, and be patient, as there will probably be periods during which no meteor is spotted, the club member added.
The Geminids shower was first observed in 1862 with a rather moderate frequency of only about 20 meteors per hour, much lower than that of present days.