Geminid Meteor Shower
December 2006 :
Note: This article may contain outdated information
This article was published in the December 2006 issue of The Skyscraper and likely contains some information that was pertinent only for that month. It is being provided here for historical reference only.
Stargazers will receive an early holiday gift this December 13-
14, provided the skies remain clear. On that night the Geminid
meteor shower will reach its peak of activity. This very consistent
and productive shooting star display will only be slightly bothered
by moonlight, so it will definitely be worth your time to set aside
a few hours to catch many meteors as they blaze across the sky.
While most meteor showers perform better after midnight, the
Geminids are one shower that can be productive before that hour.
Why? These meteors radiate out from a point in the constellation
Gemini near the stars Castor and Pollux. And during December Gemini
is well up in the eastern sky before midnight. So if you need to
get some sleep, you can observe perhaps one meteor per minute at a
reasonable hour.
However, if you can forego a few hours of shut-eye, wait until
Gemini reaches zenith (a point directly overhead) at around 2:00
am. Then you may possibly observe from 100 to 120 Geminid meteors
per hour. But if you can, stay outside even later, for some
forecasts call for the peak activity to occur around 6:00 am EST.
A waning crescent Moon, just past last quarter, doesn't rise
until around 1:00 am, and at that time will brighten the sky a bit.
Try to block it from view. This action will increase your chances
of observing more shooting stars. Geminids are fairly bright and
moderate in speed, hitting our atmosphere at 21.75-miles per
second. The Geminids are characterized by their multicolored
display (65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue,
red and green). They also have a reputation for producing exploding
meteors called fireballs.
Good luck with the December Geminids.
And finally, the Winter Solstice occurs at 7:22 pm on December
21. Notice how far south the Sun arcs across the sky on this day.
Please note that Seagrave Observatory will be closed on
Saturday, December 2nd. Check our web site to see if the observatory
will be open on the Saturday nights just before Christmas and New
Years (12/23 & 12/30). Also refer to the web site at
http://www.theskyscrapers.org for snow cancellations.
Happy holidays and clear skies to you all.
