Mid-December Meteor Shower

Did you take some time to observe the total lunar eclipse on October 27? More than likely you didn't. Seagrave Observatory had its own curse that night ... the historic comeback of the Boston Red Sox to take Game 4 and sweep the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

Only a handful of public joined about a dozen Skyscraper members to enjoy the Moon's transformation. We concentrated on watching our lunar neighbor slide deep into the Earth's dark shadow, all the while listening to the game on the radio. It was a great night for everyone. Congratulations Red Sox.

It was a nice mild evening on the 27th. The clouds disappeared earlier than the forecast had indicated. As the Moon's bright surface was covered by the Earth's shadow, you could see a light rusty or orange hue in the shadow zone. To the naked eye it looked more orange than it did through binoculars or a telescope.

As more and more of the Moon was eclipsed, the colors seen on the lunar surface in the shadow didn't change. The orange coloration was still more apparent to the naked eye. Just before totality, with a little area of brightness still shining, the Moon looked like Mars with a very big and bright polar cap.

As I predicted, the Moon never completely disappeared from view. It was a very beautiful sight. One of our members commented that it looked like a painting. About mid-way through totality the clouds began to roll in, and before totality ended the Moon was completely obscured by clouds. With the ball game and the eclipse both done for us, we all packed up and went home. Hopefully the Sox will win another World Series before the next total lunar eclipse in 2007.

The final meteor shower of 2004 is the Geminids of December, now undeniably the most reliable meteor shower of the year. This year the peak is on the night of December 13-14, Monday night to Tuesday morning. Though it is unfortunate that its peak is on a week night, observing conditions make this shower the one you should get out there and watch.

The two-day old crescent Moon sets early, so it will not flood the sky with unwanted light. To ensure you see as many meteors as possible without having to stay up all night, I would begin observing around 10:00 pm and continue until 3:00 or 4:00 am. As long as you choose an observing location well away from light pollution you have a very good opportunity to observe from 60- to 75-meteors per hour streak across the sky.

Because the stream of particles intercepts the Earth's orbit at a right angle, the meteors hit our atmosphere at a moderate speed of 21.75-miles per second. The Geminids are characterized by their multi-colored display (65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue, red and green). They are fairly bright and also have a reputation for producing exploding meteors called fireballs. The Geminids are the most dependable display because they are an old shower and therefore the individual meteors are evenly distributed throughout the meteor stream.

To make the most of this meteor shower observing experience you should dress warmly and position yourself in an environment well away from annoying outdoor lighting of any kind. Some folks may think you're crazy, but you can still use a lawn chair or chaise lounge from which to observe comfortably.

Good luck and stay warm and alert.

In conclusion, it doesn't seem possible, but the Winter Solstice occurs at 7:42 am on December 21. Another year gone by! Predictions I've seen call for a cold and snowy winter once again. As I get older I'm beginning to understand why the birds migrate south in the winter!!!

If the weather cooperates Seagrave Observatory will continue to be open to the public every Saturday night. Check our web site - http://www.theskyscrapers.org - for further information, especially if the snow starts flying.

Happy holidays and clear skies to you all.