FYI.

From: Sidewalk Astronomy Mailing List [mailto:lgdso@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 5:04 PM
Subject: Meteor Shower Wednesday night/Thursday morning

ABOUT TONIGHT'S (Dec 13) GEMINID METEOR SHOWER...

Because meteor showers don't require any kind of optical aids like telescopes or binoculars to observe--in fact, the ONLY thing you should use is your own two eyes--the Local Group of Deep Sky Observers won't be hosting any kind of public observing for tonight's Geminid Meteor Shower.

But I still wanted to share some information so you can watch from your own backyards!

This will likely be the best meteor shower of 2017 (and without a doubt, it'll be the best one between now and the *end* of the year!)

Although the maximum hourly rate for the Geminids is often given as ~120 per hour, the odds are you'll be lucky to spot 1/2 that number. The max rate assumes very dark skies and virtually no obstructions on the horizon... plus the ability to see in all directions at once!

The constellation Gemini rises around 7:30 p.m. in the east-northeast, so any Geminid meteors you see will appear to 'radiate' from that part of the sky. That said, you don't have to face the ENE. They can appear anywhere in the sky...but if you trace the path of the meteors you see backwards, you'll start to notice that they'll all seem to emerge from there.

Through the course of the evening, Gemini--along with the radiant point of the meteor shower--will get higher and higher in the sky. By the time the shower reaches its peak around 2:00 a.m., Gemini will be almost straight overhead. So the point from which the meteors you see will radiate will always be centered on where the constellation is--and not where it was when Gemini first cleared the horizon in the early evening hours.

Watch ANY time in the evening... but you'll likely see many more the later in the night you watch. And after midnight is definitely better.

Oh, and even if you 'luck out' and spot just 60 meteors per hour, don't expect to see one per minute like clockwork. You may see three in rapid succession, and then go a good 5-7 minutes without seeing any at all.

Overall, meteor showers are predictable. But the individual meteors aren't.

FOR FURTHER READING:  Bradenton Herald article about this event <-- click here.

Good luck and clear skies!

Jonathan

Jonathan Sabin
President, LGDSO


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