Geminid Meteor Shower: Why Students Should Watch It

In the fast paced life today, parents are often at a loss about how to spend meaningful time with their kids. The television is no longer a resort with its many programmes that often show graphic images of violence and have lesser educational content and more consumerist garbage. Well, nature is the answer and the perfect opportunity is at hand. The world will witness the Geminid meteor shower from tonight to the early hours of December 14, 2017. This meteor shower could be seen from anywhere in the world.

Why show a meteor shower to your child?

First of all, meteor showers are nature's own firecrackers display without the risk of pollution. Second, it is a spectacular display of the mysteries the Universe holds. For a young kid, witnessing something like a meteor shower can help in raising curiosity about universe, science and all things related. 

What are 'Shooting Stars' or Meteors?

When taking your child out to witness a meteor shower, you would need to prepare yourself for the onslaught of questions. The first question that needs to be addressed is 'what are meteors'. These are popularly called 'Shooting Stars' but are far from a star. Meteors are any piece of comet, meteoroid, or asteroid that travels into Earth's atmosphere, that is, any kind of interplanetary debris crashing into Earth's atmosphere. 

A lot of heat is created when any of these objects comes into Earth's atmosphere, causing it to glow. This is how the meteors get the appearance of a shooting star.

How will it help Kids?

Imagine the possibilities. This could make your child more inquisitive toward the Universe and what science operates behind the Universe. If you are teacher, this could be an ideal way to introduce your students to the Astronomical Sciences. 

Where and How to watch Geminid?

The Geminid meteor shower will be visible from anywhere in the world. However, people would need to move a bit away from the city glare and pollution to a more quaint and darker place. 

According to reports, the shower is predicted to be at its maximum at around 2 am on December 14, when the Gemini constellation will be almost overhead and the number of meteors can reach up to 120 per hour. 

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