Meteor Shower and Total Lunar Eclipse to Wow Skywatchers This Month

Space.com Via Yahoo ^ | Dec 8, 2010 | SPACE.com Staff

[Islander7]

Skywatchers, grab your blankets. December's night sky spectacular will feature the best meteor shower of 2010 as well as the only total lunar eclipse of the year -- sights that should outshine any New Year's Eve fireworks display in terms of sheer wonder.

The massive Geminid meteor shower returns every year, so you'll have more chances if the cold proves too daunting on the night of Dec. 13. But anyone in North America who skips the total lunar eclipse on the night of Dec. 20 will be missing what promises to be the best lunar eclipse show until April 2014.

[Islander7]

The Geminids' radiant is, as the name implies, in the direction of the constellation Gemini, just north of the northernmost of Gemini's two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. In the early evening of Dec. 13, the radiant is low in the northeast. By 1 a.m. EST, after the date has changed to Dec. 14, the radiant is almost directly overhead. By 6.a.m. EST, when the shower is at its peak in the Eastern Time Zone, the radiant is low in the west.

[Doogle]

....saw some activity a few weeks ago with Leonid (2nd night)

[Red_Devil 232]

It will undoubtedly be way to cold for me to wait outside for a meteor shower. I will wait until the Perseid meteor shower shows up in August next year.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[Islander7]

I saw a couple of very bright ones then too. Too many lights where I am now to catch the dim ones.

[Calvin Locke]

I can bundle up against the cold, but if there ain't clear skies, then I
don't have to worry about the cold.

I saw some program where some scientists went up in a plane to
study the Perseids, iirc. Get above the weather, and any
neighbors' unwelcomed lights.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I never miss the Geminids.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Islander7.

· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·

[The Cajun]

Went outside for 1/2 hour and saw zip.
Anybody have better luck?

[Global2010]

Gale force wind and rain storm just his the coast with possible snow by the morning.

Wind/Rain ok Snow not so good.

Fishing vessels all sitting in the bay ready to go out crabbing but not untill they can safely cross the bar.

Haven’t seen a good meteor shower since we moved here 20 plus years ago.

[The Cajun]

Crystal clear and cold here and from what I saw, you ain’t missing nothing. Will go take another look before I go to bed around 2:00 AM.

[thecodont]

I saw a meteor the wee hours of the 12th, going through Orion. An early Geminid?

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I though it was supposed to peak around 6:00 AM.

[Global2010]

Cool.
Wind gusts now sucking the inside door open.

Pouring rain now.
However at around 2am we always seem to get a lul of quiet weather out front, or so it seems when coming in from an event on the road.

So hope floats.

[The Cajun]

I though it was supposed to peak around 6:00 AM.

According to the article:
In the early evening of Dec. 13, the radiant is low in the northeast. By 1 a.m. EST, after the date has changed to Dec. 14, the radiant is almost directly overhead. By 6.a.m. EST, when the shower is at its peak in the Eastern Time Zone, the radiant is low in the west.

Remember way, way back when I was a kid, we witnessed a Geminid shower that was probably over a thousand per minute about a 1/2 hour before dawn.
Haven't seen anything like it in 50 years.

[Islander7]

Just heard from a friend in Long Beach, MS. She said the shower was really spectacular. I’m stuck in a town with too many lights.

[Islander7]

Possibly.

[The Cajun]

Damn, heading out right now!

[The Cajun]

Saw 3 in 20 minutes, too cold for too little thrill ;^)

[Islander7]

For years, I have hoped and prayed for ‘Stars Fell on Alabama’ sort of experience.