Tonights Meteor Shower

By Sky & Telescope
Dec 12, 2006, 22:23

It’ll peak during the night of Wednesday, December 13. Here are ten tips for the Geminid meteor shower. 1. The Geminids are one of the year’s best meteor showers. The Gemininds often produce 50 or more meteors per hour, or nearly a meteor a minute. More inside...

2. This shower is one of the few that is as good to watch in the evening as after midnight.

3. Dark skies are essential. Find a place to observe in the country.

4. In 2006, the waning crescent moon will be rising in the wee hours after midnight during the shower’s peak. This little moon will diminish the shower in the hours between moonrise and dawn. Try watching late at night on December 13, or around midnight.

5. Most meteor in annual showers originate in comets. But the parent of the Geminid meteor shower is a mysterious body named Phaethon 3200. This solar system object is termed an Apollo (near-Earth) asteroid, and it might be a dormant comet.

6. If you were to track the Geminid meteors backwards on the sky’s dome, you’d find them streaming from the a point in the sky within the boundaries of the constellation Gemini the Twins. This point – called the radiant point – lies close to Gemini’s bright star, Castor.

7. Radiant points are fun to think about. But you don’t need to know the constellation Gemini to see the meteor shower. On the night of the shower, Geminid meteors will streak all over the sky.

8. The best way to watch meteors is to bring along a buddy. Both of you watch different parts of the sky. If one of you sees one, shout out “meteor!”

9. Special equipment? Not necessary. You only need a dark sky, a reclining lawn chair and the warmth of a sleeping bag.

10. As a wise man once said, meteor watching is a lot like fishing. You go outside. You enjoy nature all around you. You hope you catch some.

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See you after midnight I been burning the candle.