Among the astronomical phenomena that December will bring, one of the first will be the meteor shower that the comet 289P / Blanpain next December 2. The moment the remains that this body leaves on its way come into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, they will become Shooting Stars.
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According to National Geographic, this comet was discovered in 1819 by Jacques Blanpain, a scientist who at the time said that the object had “a very small and confusing nucleus.” After that, the comet disappeared for 200 years. At that time he was never seen again, even with the proper observation instruments.
The Phenicides, named after the constellation Phoenix, were discovered in 1956, during the first Japanese Antarctic expedition in the Indian Ocean. However, they also went unseen for several decades, intriguing various groups of scientists.
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It was until 2003 when astronomers discovered a smaller body that was moving in the same orbit as Comet Blanpain more than 100 years ago, at which point they demonstrated that it was the remains of the comet.
This year this meteor shower is already visible from November 28, but will present its peak of activity on Thursday, December 2, 2021. It is recommended to observe it in the early hours of that day or at dusk.
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The phenomenon will coincide with the passage of the Orionids, a situation that will allow us to see up to five meteors per hour, approximately.
To see the Phoenicians, it is recommended to locate the constellation of Phoenix in the sky using one of the special apps for this, such as SkySafari for Android, or Skyview for iOS.
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