Geminid Meteor Shower, Dec. 13
The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Saturday evening (Dec 13), when we might be
treated to a moderately active meteor shower, weather permitting.
The Moon is favourable this year. It won’t be rising until almost 3 a.m.,
and it will be in a crescent phase, meaning it won’t be reflecting much
sunlight. As a result, our skies will be darker, allowing us to see more
of the faint meteors.
The Geminid meteors will appear to originate in the constellation Gemini –
hence their name. It will be easy to locate Gemini. It is high in
the southwest, with Jupiter shining very brightly to its left. The two
bright stars to Jupiter’s upper right are Pollux and Castor, and they represent
the heads of the Gemini twins.
Castor is almost exactly at the so-called radiant, from where the meteors seem
to originate, and from there they can appear to go up, down, left,
right... You won’t see them actually start there, but if you were to
track back the various meteors you see, their tracks would converge on
Castor.
To view a meteor shower best, find a location where you don’t have direct house
or streetlights in your eyes, and then position yourself facing the largest
part of the sky you can. You don’t have to face Gemini, and looking
somewhat away from Gemini, you may see longer streaks.
If we happen to have clear skies, first of all, dress warmly – an astronomer’s rule of thumb is to dress for 10 degrees colder than the actual temperature, as you won’t be moving and generating heat so will get cold faster. Then, settle yourself comfortably, in a lounge chair or on a blanket; give your eyes several minutes to adjust to the darkness; and just watch the sky with your naked eye. You may see several over the course of an hour or so.
Ursid meteor shower, Dec 21
There will also be a minor meteor shower overnight on Sunday, Dec 21. The number of meteors will be smaller, but you may still see a few.
The Moon
The Moon rises late in the evening, and later every night. We don’t often
think to look for the Moon in the daytime, but you will be able to see it low
in the west in the mornings, becoming a narrower and narrower crescent.
It sets in the west around noon on Dec 10, and later every day, however, do not
look for it close to the Sun to protect your eyes – say, after about Dec 15…
however you can also look for it in the morning before sunrise.
Then you might get the treat of so-called moonshine when the light reflected off Earth illuminates the dark part of the Moon even though there is a bright crescent. This is a lovely view.
The Planets (in the morning)
If you happen to be up early, and have a low horizon to the southeast, you may
see Mercury before the sun rises. It rises around 6:15, and a couple minutes
later every day. It is bright enough that you will recognize it as the
brightest object in that part of the sky.
Venus is no longer easily visible, as it rises just ahead of the Sun and is
overwhelmed by the sunlight.
You can also catch Jupiter in the morning. It sets in the west well after sunrise, so before that, you should be able to see it.
The Planets (in the evening)
We can still see Jupiter in the morning, as it doesn’t rise in the northeast
until after 6:30 p.m. It then climbs to its highest in the south about
2:30 a.m.
Saturn is no longer very bright; it can still be seen in the evening sky.
Early in the evening, it can be found low in the south – but it will still be
the brightest object in that part of the sky. It will continue to head
west, setting in the southwest just after midnight.
Clear skies, happy holidays, and stay safe and well.
David
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