People across Thailand gathered to witness the Geminid meteor shower on the night of Dec 14.
The breathtaking spectacle unfolded in many provinces. At the Pha Taem National Park in Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, the provincial administration, in collaboration with the the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), and Pha Taem National Park, organized an event for the public to observe the Geminid meteor shower. Thousands of enthusiastic spectators, including children and adults, gathered at the Pha Taem viewpoint from early evening until late at night.
Unlike regular shooting stars, Geminid meteors appear to originate from a single point in the sky known as the radiant point. When the radiant point is located near or coincides with a particular constellation, the meteor shower is named after that constellation.
Ubon Ratchathani Province has been declared a “Dark Sky Park” in two locations, namely Pha Taem National Park and Pha Luang Waterfall National Park.
The NARIT reported that this year’s Geminid meteor shower reached its peak with an impressive rate of 120 meteors per hour. The observation conditions were optimal from the night of December 14 to the early morning of December 15. Due to the absence of moonlight interference, some meteors displayed large, beautiful fireballs as they traversed the night sky. (TNA)
