TEMPO.CO, Bandung - The Pheonicid meteor shower which has been going on since November 28, 2022, will reach its peak tonight, December 2, before actually ending on December 9. The best time to observe meteors is at 20:00 Jakarta time.

“It’s in the south,” said Avivah Yamani, an astronomy activist from the Komunitas Langit Selatan, Bandung, Thursday, December 1, 2022.

Emerging from the constellation Phoenix, the number of meteors varies but at least, Avivah explained, observers can see 12 meteors per hour. However, observations can be affected by moonlight. On this Friday night, the moon will set past midnight.

“Cloudy weather and rain can also be a hindrance,” Avivah said, adding that observations of the meteor shower, which originates from comet debris, can start from sunset until around 03:00.

Based on the Langit Selatan community’s page, other cosmic events throughout December include the Puppid-Velids meteor shower which takes place from December 1-15, the Geminids meteor shower on December 4-20, and the Ursid meteor shower on December 17-26.

Other celestial phenomena, Mercury and Venus, will also be visible throughout December. On Christmas Eve, the positions of the two planets and the crescent moon will establish a triangle between the west and southwest. The trio of celestial bodies will then descend one by one after 19:00 Jakarta time.

ANWAR SISWADI

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