Beginning on the evening of December 13th and ending at twilight on December 14th, the fabulous Geminid Meteor Shower will be visible in this part of the country. Head outside between 9-10 pm and you’ll be able to view up to 120 meteors per hour, shooting across the sky and giving us a fabulous show!
Meteor Shower Viewing Tips
Weather conditions and light pollution are the only reasons it could be difficult to se the showers. The sky needs to be dark and clear, away from all the city lights.
Where to look? The best place to start is between the radiant and the zenith (straight above you). The radiant is the point in the sky where the meteors appear to originate.
Starting around midnight, our location on the globe spins around to the forward-facing half of Earth (in relation to the direction of orbit). At dawn, our location on the globe directly faces the direction in which Earth is traveling along its orbit. So between midnight and dawn, you’ll be viewing the meteors head-on, for a more frequent display.
No special equipment is needed. In fact, binoculars do not work for meteor showers. The naked eye is best.
Gather your family, bundle up warmly, collect your blankets or quilts, fill up a thermos of coffee or cocoa, and enjoy looking up into the dark night sky.