It will be seen for the last time in 2024! They will enter the atmosphere at a speed of 35 kilometers per second.

In the meteor showers commonly known as shooting stars, the meteoroids formed from the remnants of comets can enter the atmosphere at speeds ranging from 35 kilometers to 70 kilometers per second, with some being referred to as 'fireballs'. Each year, there are 8 meteor showers around the world, including Quadrantid, Lyrid, Eta Aquarid, Delta Aquarid, Perseid, Orionid, Leonid, and Geminid, which are formed from the debris left by comets that date back thousands of years.

LASTING UNTIL DECEMBER 20

In Antalya, at Bakırlıtepe, which is an observation site affiliated with TÜBİTAK where an average of 220 days of observation can be conducted annually at an altitude of 2,500 meters, the TÜBİTAK National Observatory (TUG) prepares the Yearbook of Celestial Events each year, compiling the most significant astronomical events of that year. According to the 2024 Yearbook of Celestial Events, the last sky festival of 2024 will take place on the nights of December 13-14. The Geminid Meteor Shower, one of the most intense and spectacular meteor shower events that occurs eight times a year and started on December 4 this year, will last until December 20. The peak of this significant celestial event is expected to be on December 13-14, with an average of 120 meteors expected to be seen per hour on the morning of December 14.

ENTRY SPEEDS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AT 35 KILOMETERS PER HOUR

The source of the Geminid Meteor Shower is an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. This asteroid completes its orbit around the Sun in 1.4 years. 3200 Phaethon is also referred to as a 'dead comet' or 'rock comet' because this rocky body moves in a highly flattened elliptical orbit, similar to comets. The Geminid or Twin meteors can be observed between December 4-20, reaching their peak around the middle of the month. Generally, during the period when the Geminids are expected to be most intense, an average of 120 meteors is anticipated to be observed per hour. However, due to the Moon being nearly full (97% illuminated) at this time, this number may significantly decrease. These meteors emerge from the constellation Gemini, and their entry speed into the Earth's atmosphere will average 35 kilometers per second.

THEY BURN IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Experts explained that objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter can sometimes be ejected from their orbits due to planetary gravitational influences, thus distributing meteoroids throughout the solar system, with some falling to Earth, most of which burn up in the atmosphere. They stated that the Geminid Meteor Shower can be observed with the naked eye in the dark of night, in areas with low light intensity and clear skies.