Geminids meteor shower 2020

[miguelito 11266]

Peaks tonight. Almost near moon, clear skies.

Get yourself some hot chocolate, whiskey, and a good chair. Head outside and look up towards the north, northeast.

Be amazed.

[3adays 454]

From NYT 

Geminids Meteor Shower 2020: Watch It Peak in Night Skies

All year long as Earth revolves around the sun, it passes through streams of cosmic debris. The resulting meteor showers can light up night skies from dusk to dawn, and if you’re lucky you might be able to catch a glimpse.

The next shower you might be able to see is known as the Geminids. Active from Dec. 4 to Dec. 20, it is expected to be at its peak from Sunday night into Monday morning, or Dec. 13 to 14.

The Geminids, along with the Quadrantids that peaked in January, are thought to originate not from comets, but from asteroid-like space rocks. The Geminids are thought to have been produced by an object called 3200 Phaethon (an asteroid that a Japanese space mission, Destiny+, is to visit later this decade). If you manage to see them, this meteor shower can brighten the night sky with between 120 and 160 meteors per hour.

While many showers are most visible after midnight and before dawn, the Geminids may be visible as early as 10 p.m. in some locations, according to the International Meteor Organization, although the best viewing may begin at around 11 and last until 4 a.m.

 

Where meteor showers come from

If you spot a meteor shower, what you’re usually seeing is an icy comet’s leftovers that crash into Earth’s atmosphere. Comets are sort of like dirty snowballs: As they travel through the solar system, they leave behind a dusty trail of rocks and ice that lingers in space long after they leave. When Earth passes through these cascades of comet waste, the bits of debris — which can be as small as grains of sand — pierce the sky at such speeds that they burst, creating a celestial fireworks display.

A general rule of thumb with meteor showers: You are never watching the Earth cross into remnants from a comet’s most recent orbit. Instead, the burning bits come from the previous passes. For example, during the Perseid meteor shower you are seeing meteors ejected from when its parent comet, Comet Swift-Tuttle, visited in 1862 or earlier, not from its most recent pass in 1992.

That’s because it takes time for debris from a comet’s orbit to drift into a position where it intersects with Earth’s orbit, according to Bill Cooke, an astronomer with NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.

How to watch

The best way to see a meteor shower is to get to a location that has a clear view of the entire night sky. Ideally, that would be somewhere with dark skies, away from city lights and traffic. To maximize your chances of catching the show, look for a spot that offers a wide, unobstructed view.

Bits and pieces of meteor showers are visible for a certain period of time, but they really peak visibly from dusk to dawn on a given few days. Those days are when Earth’s orbit crosses through the thickest part of the cosmic stream. Meteor showers can vary in their peak times, with some reaching their maximums for only a few hours and others for several nights.

It is best to use your naked eye to spot a meteor shower. Binoculars or telescopes tend to limit your field of view. You might need to spend about half an hour in the dark to let your eyes get used to the reduced light. Stargazers should be warned that moonlight and the weather can obscure the shows. But if that happens, there are usually meteor livestreams like the ones hosted by NASA and by Slooh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Homercles 10206]

Good thing I can’t see shit due to clouds

[Zepol87 9188]

Yea clouds in North Dallas are gonna ruin this for me

[miguelito 11266]

I just saw a couple of good ones in a few minutes. But this wind is still brutal.  I have a good view to the north, but that's where the wind is coming from. 

[SquishMitten 10408]

I just saw a couple of good ones in a few minutes. But this wind is still brutal.  I have a good view to the north, but that's where the wind is coming from. 

Be careful. If one of them gets too low, the added velocity from the wind might hurt you

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Fucking cloud cover...  

[Paper_jam 831]

I saw a couple around 1:30 AM, but after 10 minutes the wind (combined with 40 degree temps) got to me. I could have bundled up more but it was bedtime anyway.

 

 

 

[miguelito 11266]

Might be worth watching tonight. Cold, but calm, so not as unpleasant.

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

 

Way to windy last night.

 

Is it still going on tonight? It'll be clear here, but temps in the teens. I might go walk around after the kid is in bed if its not windy.

 

[Updawg 2266]

 
Way to windy last night.
 
Is it still going on tonight? It'll be clear here, but temps in the teens. I might go walk around after the kid is in bed if its not windy.
 

Username definitely checks out

Saw some good ones last night while walking the dog in 749