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Geminid meteor shower promises celestial extravaganza, even in urban areas

As the meteor shower appears to originate from Gemini, an equatorial constellation, observers in Russia’s southernmost areas will be better suited to enjoy viewing the celestial event

ST. PETERSBURG, December 12. /TASS/. The Geminids, the year’s biggest meteor shower, which peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, can be viewed even in the light of major cities, Nikolay Zheleznov, a senior researcher at the St. Petersburg-based Institute of Applied Astronomy, told TASS.

While the astronomer advised stargazers to pick outdoor sites "with minimal noise from city lights," he explained, "Russians can easily observe shooting stars in urban areas, too."

As the meteor shower appears to originate from Gemini, an equatorial constellation, observers in Russia’s southernmost areas will be better suited to enjoy viewing the celestial event, Zheleznov added.

The Geminid meteor shower is normally the most active meteor shower of the year, surpassing even the Perseids, which are active in August. This year, it may boast as many as 120 meteors per hour.

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