BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network):The annual Geminids meteor shower is best viewed on Wednesday (Dec 14) night before 11pm, with stargazers in rural areas expected to get the best view, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand.
There could be as many as 150 meteors per hour when the shower is most visible, from about 8pm until 11pm, the institute said.
The meteor shower can be viewed with the naked eye from locations that are distant from artificial lighting.
The institute said the Geminids meteor shower lasts from Dec 4 to 20, but the best time to observe it is tonight. The Geminids are associated with near-Earth object 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid that may have collided with another object in the distant past to produce the stream of particles that create the meteor shower.
The institute has opened three viewing sites. They are:
>Chiang Mai: A campsite at the Huay Lan Reservoir. For more information, call: 088-5477834.
>Nakhon Ratchasima: Chalermphrakiart Observatory at Suranaree University of Technology.
>Chachoengsao: Chalermphrakiart Observatory in Plaeng Yao district’s Tambon Wang Yen in Plaeng Yao district.
