Astronomical Events: Geminids Meteor Shower and New Discoveries

The Geminids meteor shower is currently lighting up the night skies, peaking between December 13 and 14, with visibility expected to last until December 17. This annual event, one of the strongest meteor showers, is best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere but can also be seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

Observers are encouraged to find dark skies away from light pollution to increase visibility, ideally between midnight and sunrise. According to The Seattle Times, meteor showers occur when Earth traverses debris from comets or asteroids, with the Geminids originating from the constellation Gemini.

In addition to this celestial event, exciting new findings about Mars have emerged. Research led by Suniti Karunatillake from Louisiana State University suggests that Mars may have once had a much larger moon, potentially 15 to 18 times the mass of its current largest moon, Phobos.

This larger moon could have exerted enough gravitational pull to create tides in ancient Martian lakes and seas. The findings were based on sedimentary rock analysis in Gale crater, where evidence of tidal activity was observed, resembling patterns seen on Earth.

These insights will be presented at the upcoming American Geophysical Union meeting. However, not all scientists agree with this interpretation, as some argue that the sizes of Martian craters may not support tidal deposits.

The debate continues as researchers explore the implications of these findings for our understanding of Mars and its geological history.