Geminids meteor shower to streak across UAE skies tomorrow

About 120 shooting stars an hour expected

A Geminids meteor shower lit up UAE skies on December 13, 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National

About 200 people turned up at Wadi Shawka in Ras Al Khaimah to watch the celestial event as part of a gathering organised by the Dubai Astronomy Group. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Geminid meteor shower in Mleiha, Sharjah. Prabhu Astrophotography for The National

Another shot of the Geminid meteor shower from Mleiha, Sharjah. Prabhu Astrophotography for The National

The showers were the most visible ones of the year in the UAE and were at their peak from 10pm to 2am. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Clear skies and no Moon interference enhanced the experience. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Those who watched away from light pollution were wowed by the large number of 'shooting stars'. Chris Whiteoak / The National

People of all ages attended the gathering. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Members of the Dubai Astronomy Group gave presentations and educated guests on the celestial event. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Hasan Al Hariri, chief executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The showers were visible to the naked eye, but telescopes were available to see the 'shooting stars' up close and observe other planets. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The most visible meteor shower of the year is set to peak tomorrow night and will be visible in the UAE's skies.

The Geminids are an annual event.

They start appearing on December 4, but reach their peak on December 13 and 14, with about 120 meteors an hour.

The Geminids are caused by fragments breaking off from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, and appear as shooting stars as they burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

“The shower appears to originate from a point in the constellation Gemini near the stars Castor and Pollux, but you do not have to look there – just watch whatever part of your sky offers the darkest view,” the European Space Agency said.

“The Geminid meteoroids are tiny bits of rocky debris, sand-grains to pea-size, shed from a small asteroid named Phaethon.

“Over the centuries, these particles have spread along the asteroid’s orbit to form a moving ‘river of rubble’ hundreds of millions of kilometres long. Earth’s own annual orbit around the Sun carries us through this stream of particles every mid-December.”

The Geminids travel at 35 kilometres per second, about 40 times faster than a bullet, according to US space agency Nasa.

The Dubai Astronomy Group is hosting a viewing event at the Al Razeen Desert in Abu Dhabi on December 13 from 10am to 4am. People can register on the group's website.

Last year, about 200 people attended meeting organised at Wadi Shawka in Ras Al Khaimah.

Several live-streaming events, including the Nasa Meteor Watch, have also been held.