Meteor Shower to Peak Thursday

meteorshower.jpg

A Geminid meteor streaks across the night sky, with circular star trails whirling the background, in a time-exposure photo made by astronomer Jimmy Westlake in December 1985.

 

What could be the best meteor display of the year will reach its peak on the night of Dec.13-14.  The Geminids perform excellently in any year, but British meteor astronomer, Alastair McBeath, has categorized 2007 as a “great year.”

Last year’s display was hindered somewhat by the moon, two days past last quarter phase. But this year, the moon will be at new phase on Dec. 9. On the peak night, the moon will be a fat crescent, in the south-southwest at dusk and setting soon after 8 p.m. That means that the sky will be dark and moonless for the balance of the night, making for perfect viewing conditions for the shower.

The Geminids begin to appear noticeably more numerous in the hours after 10 p.m. local time, because the shower’s radiant is already fairly high in the eastern sky by then. The best views, however, come around 2 a.m. local time, when their radiant point will be passing very nearly overhead.

Heidi, Heather, and Mel you have the best chance of seeing this since you’re up at this time anyway.  I will probably miss it, so I expect a full report. 😉

4 Comments

  1. Melly
    Dec 12, 2007

    Oh, Man, I got grouped in with Heidi and Heather…Okay, its true, I’m a night owl. 🙂

  2. Heidi
    Dec 12, 2007

    Amy, are you telling me you go to bed before 10:00? (Sissy.) 😉

  3. Amy
    Dec 12, 2007

    I am a sissy- not being a night or a morning person; but I am not in bed before 10:00 unless I’m sick or had a really bad day. My goal is 11:00 but I feel bad going to bed before Rob, and usually end up falling asleep on the couch. Rob gets me up between 12:00 and 1:00 and then I go upstairs to my bed.
    I meant you’ll be awake at 2 am when there are the best views!

  4. Heather
    Dec 12, 2007

    Amy, it’s true, I will definitely be up to see it. I’m making it to bed “early” these days though. I am actually getting to bed by 2 or 3 am nowadays…hey, baby steps, what can I say. I am the one on the night shift with the kids, and with the croup season in full swing, and colds and flu right on top of it, I almost always have one child, or more, that is up in the night feeling lousy with some bug or other. Good thing I am such a night owl, or would be a mess most days. No matter what time I get to bed, I still have to be up at the crack, getting kids ready for school. Fun, eh! They grow up so fast though, it will be over before I know it!