Astronomers and stargazers share tips to witness two galactic showers

The months of November and December are a period of excitement for amateur astronomers and stargazers Starting this weekend the earth will begin to pass through the trajectory of two comets mdash TempelTuttle November 15 to November 20 and the Halleyrsquos Comet December 4 to December 20 We speak to astronomers and stargazers to understand the right way to catch these phenomenaGeminids are the rsquoole faithfulArvind Paranjpye director Nehru PlanetariumFor a meteor shower to take place two things need to happen One the earthrsquos orbit needs to intersect with the orbital path of the comet or asteroid that is orbiting the sun Two their debris has to burn up in the atmosphere which causes the bright showers The Leonids and the Geminids are two occasions when you see a large number of meteors coming from the radiant of the shower Personally I would advise people to focus on the Geminids The Leonids are often visible at the rate of 60 meteors in an hour if that many A meteor a minute might seem a lot but in the larger context it can be slow viewing Geminids are the rsquoole faithful mdash named so because it faithfully repeats every year The shower is caused by the debris of the famous Halleyrsquos Comet that shows up every 76 years They are one of the best phenomena that can be observed by the naked eyeTime it rightUmesh Ghude founder Amateur Astronomy ClubMeteor showers are actually quite common all year round But it is rare for any of us to observe it with our naked eye especially in a city or urban space The Leonids or the Geminids are named so because they originate from the direction of the constellations Leo and Gemini The former in fact is the dust particle or debris remnant of the TempelTuttle comet which orbits around the sun While it is an annual phenomenon this year is expected to be brighter We hope to see a better shower than before The Geminids are always the brighter of the two They are larger and more of a spectacleEscape the cityMihir Gilbile senior stargazing professional Horizon Astronomy SocietyEvery year the Earth passes through the orbits of these two meteors There are also the Ursids Taurids and Orionids that happen But they are not as radiant or bright Yet one must remember that these showers are a natural occurrence There is no predictable range or number of meteors that you can expect People are often disappointed when they do not see meteor showers explode in the night sky There is a lot more to observe on such trips For instance meteors move with the earthrsquos rotation during the evening and against it during the early hours of the morningTips for stargazers1 Move away from cities Summits of forts or banks of large water bodies are apt locations2 Be well rested and comfortable Experience the whole phenomenon3 Avoid coffee to stay alert4 There is more to observing the stars than just meteors Pose questions to your guide to know more about the occurrenceTo watch the Geminids showergtgt Amateur Astronomy ClubON December 14At Naneghat village near JunnarLog on to amateurastroclubinCall 986761731 for detailsCost Rs 2000 onwards homestay and stargazing includedgtgt Stargazing MumbaiON December 14 December 15AT Dehene village near AsangaonLog on to stargazingmumbaiinCall 9112662662Cost Rs 2099 per personTo watch the Leonids showergtgt InfiniteAUON November 18AT Bhandardara lakesideLog on to infiniteauinCall 8799392974Cost Rs 1899gtgt Trekkers UnitedON November 18 and November 19Meeting time 3 pmMeeting point Kasara stationLog on to trekkersunitedCall 7710963353Cost Rs 1900 stay and food includedgtgt Horizon Astronomical SocietyON November 18 November 25AT Horizon Astronomical Society VanganiMeeting time 355 pmMeeting point Karjat railway stationLog on to horizonastrosocietyCall 8169167678