Mid-December Meteor Shower

As usual, due to a variety of deadlines, I am writing this column a week before the Leonid meteor shower. I will report on that display during my January column on meteor shower prospects for 2003. I can only hope the astronomers' predictions came to fruition and clear skies prevailed.

Regardless of the Leonids' performance, the most reliable meteor shower of the year is the upcoming Geminids of December. This year the peak is on the night of December 13-14, Friday night to Saturday morning. Unfortunately a waxing gibbous Moon (just past first quarter) won't set until around 2:00 am on the 14th. This scenario will somewhat reduce the number of meteors that can be observed until it sets. However, after moonset, observers from a dark sky location should view about 75 shooting stars per hour blazing across the heavens.

The Geminid shower now sports two different peaks about six hours apart. An observer may therefore possibly see several increases and decreases in the number of meteors during the course of the night. Whether or not we see both those peaks entirely depends upon the time the Earth intercepts the meteor stream and its tributaries.

To maximize your chances of seeing the shower to best advantage, you should dress warmly and position yourself in an environment well away from annoying outdoor lighting of any kind. Some folks may think you're crazy, but you can still use a lawn chair or chaise lounge from which to observe comfortably.

In the mid to late '70s I remember observing the Geminids from Seagrave Observatory with a foot or so of snow on the ground. We had to shovel out an area so we could position our lawn chairs for observing. During that same time period from my own observatory in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, I remember my feet tingling from the cold. As I was closing the roof of my observatory I recall seeing several Geminids blazing across the sky simultaneously. Reluctantly I had to retreat to the house to thaw out. Man, was it cold that winter.

And yet again, during a Geminid meteor shower watch from Seagrave Observatory, it was clear when we started observing, but sometime during the night we all fell asleep. When we awoke we realized some clouds had paid us a visit, since we were all covered with a dusting of snow. Moral of that story is...stay awake while meteor observing during the winter, otherwise they may have to pick you up with ice tongs in the morning!!

By maximizing your opportunities, that is choosing a dark sky observing site and staying awake, you should expect to observe 75 Geminid meteors per hour after moonset. Before that time you may see up to 50 per hour. The Geminids are characterized by their multi-colored display (65% being white, 26% yellow, and the remaining 9% blue, red and green).

Because the stream of particles intercepts the Earth's orbit at a right angle, the meteors hit our atmosphere at a moderate speed of 21.75 miles per second. They are fairly bright and also have a reputation for producing exploding meteors called fireballs. The Geminids are the most dependable display because they are an old shower and therefore the individual meteors are evenly distributed throughout the meteor stream. Good luck and stay warm and alert. Don't observe alone. Share the experience with a friend.

In conclusion, whether Mother Nature provides cold and snowy or mild and rainy weather during the next couple of months, astronomically the Winter Solstice occurs at 8:13 pm on December 21. While the Farmer's Almanac predicts more snow for southern New England during February and March, the US Weather Service forecasts above average temperatures for our region due to a moderate El Nino.

Who will ultimately be correct? Does it really matter? We can't do anything about the weather! Besides, this is New England. Before global warming it was expected to snow here during winter. Anyway, if Mother nature provides us some clear skies for the Geminid peak on the night of December 13-14, I don't care what comes out of the sky after that.

Happy holidays and clear skies to you all.