Geminids 2021 Observing Report
January 2022 :
I observed the Gemenid Meteor Shower on December 13th and 14th, 2021 from my backyard at Longboat Key (Sarasota), Florida Long 82 36’ 19.37” W Lat 27 21’ 58.65” N. I utilized the official ALPO/IMO Visual Meteor Observing Form to record specifics such as time, magnitude, type, color, speed and train for each meteor seen. Finalized results were submitted to Richard Lunsford of ALPO/IMO.
December 13, 2021 observation summary
I began observing at 2:00am (7h 00m UT) under perfectly clear skies. A 72% phase waxing gibbous moon was setting in the west at the start of my observations. The darkness rating was SQM 20.04, Bortle scale 6.04 Suburban skies. Limiting magnitude of +4. The temperature was 70.1 F with a relative humidity of 94%. The ambient light reflected off the atmospheric moisture. The evening began with perfectly clear skies however, fog rapidly rolled in and the skies became completely overcast by 2:39 am local time (7h 39m UT). The sky was still overcast at sunrise. I was only able to witness 9 Gemenid meteors and no sporadics. The two brightest meteors were magnitude zero.
Total Meteors Seen in 39 minutes of Observing:
9 Gemenid meteors 0 Sporatics
December 14, 2021 observation summary
I began observing at 1:00 am (6h 00m UT) under perfectly clear skies. An 80% phase waxing gibbous moon was approximately 30 degrees above the western horizon. The darkness rating was SQM 20.01, Bortle scale 6.06 Suburban skies. Limiting magnitude of +4. The temperature was 70.5 F with a relative humidity of 90%. The evening began with perfectly clear skies however, fog rapidly rolled in and the skies became completely overcast by 3:35 am local time (8h 35m UT). The sky was still cloudy at sunrise and the day remained completely overcast. I witnessed 17 Gemenid meteors from 1:00 am to 1:59 am (6h 00m to 6h 59m UT) There were two bright fireballs at magnitudes -1 and -4. From 2:00am to 2:59am (7h 00m to 7h 59am). I witnessed 19 Geminids and 1 sporadic. During this time there was a Gemenid fireball twice the brightness of Venus with a train and terminal flash. From 3:00 am to 3:15am (8h 00m UT to 8h 15m UT) I observed 7 Gemenid meteors. I took at break from 3:15am to 3:35am (8h 15m to 8h 35m UT). To my surprise the sky had completely clouded over by 3:35 am (8h 35m UT).
Total Meteors Seen in 2h 15m of Observing:
42 Gemenid meteors
2 Sporatics
A Geminid meteor from 2017 by Jim Hendrickson
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