[Note: This post is an updated 2020 version of the viewing guide I wrote for a previous Geminid shower.]
If you’re looking for a way to look amazing while cooling your butt together, am I doing a meteor shower for you: Geminids!
This year (2020), the annual fountain December 13/14, Sunday night / Monday morning is the best. In general, it is best to watch after midnight, however you should see a few if you go out after the sky is completely dark on Sunday evening. Meteor showers can be difficult to predict, but geminids are usually a good provider and sometimes meteors can be seen in a minute. Fortunately, this year the moon has come out (it is closer to the sun in the sky and has a very thin crescent), so its bright light will not wash out the view! If you have a clear sky, this is a meteor shower Really Worth your time and effort for a look.
The shower is very easy to see; All you have to do is go out, look, and Be patient. The shooting stars are somewhat random, so if you don’t see any for a while, then you’ll see three in a row. The longer you wait, the more you will see.
But there are some things you should know. If you have a clear, open sky, and follow the instructions below, you should have a celestial event to remember!
1) Time
In general, meteors are best seen after local midnight (literally, half way from sunset to sunrise), because the Earth is facing incoming meteors (such as more rain when you are driving in a hurricane). Hitting the windshield in front of you). However, in this case, should work at any time after about 10 p.m. Meteors in the constellation of Earth appear to move away from a point in the sky (see No. 2), which is above the horizon at that time. You better wait later. I will note that the actual projected peaks East (US) time is Sunday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m., but it’s not like they suddenly come to the top and disappear! It doesn’t matter much at any time in the first few hours before or after. So going out on a Sunday night has once again become dark. You could have gone out the night before (i.e. tonight) or even later, and there should still be a proper performance.
Once you get out, it takes about 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the dark – your pupils give off more light, and your eye produces a light-sensitive protein called rhodopsin. Both of these take time to fully kick. So don’t be disappointed if you see very few or no meteors right now. White light will bleach rhodopsin, by the way, so if you need a little light, use a red cellophane flashlight covering the front. It will save your night vision.
2) A huge open sky
This is really important. Meteors appear in random spots in the sky and can go from horizon to horizon. The more you can see the sky, the more meteors you will see. Try to avoid nearby buildings, trees and so much more.
If you find the back of a meteorite, it will appear to be spread out from a point in the sky located in the constellation Gemini (such as the shower name). This is the same effect when you are driving a car through a tunnel and the lights on the walls and ceiling are visible from the place in front of you. Gemini’s good looks will add to the strangeness of seeing more meteors. If you can find Orion, Gemini is on the top left of it (for people in the Northern Hemisphere; in the Southern Hemisphere this shower is almost not spread out because Gemini is very low in the sky).
No matter, a huge wide view is your best bet.
3) Dark Skies
Meteors are not usually terribly bright. A few may be glowing, but most are as bright as your average star, so you want to stay away from the lights. Your backyard will be fine, but make sure the street lights are blocked and the lights in your house are off.
4) A lounge chair
You need to be able to see a lot of the sky for minutes or hours, so you want to be comfortable. The chase lounge or folding beach recliner is a big plus. You can sleep on the ground with a blanket if you want, but rest is important if you are going out for a while. The ground stays cold at night, and even wet. Which reminds me …
5) Blankets!
Hi, it’s December, and that means it’s going to be cool. You won’t move too much either, so you won’t generate more heat. You won’t see many meteors if your teeth are grinding (I imagine hypothermia won’t help either). Stay warm!
6) Telescope, telescope
I recommend not using a telescope. why not? Telescopes see only a small part of the sky, and meteors appear in random spots. I guarantee it will be the best meteor of the night when you’re drowning on the eyepiece, and you’ll miss it.
Binoculars are better. You can scan the sky, find interesting objects, and be able to quickly look around even if a bright meteor appears.
7) Star chart
Hey, you’re out! Why not get acquainted with the sky? If you do a little research you can find local book stores and online online charts. Orion, Gemini, Taurus, Pleiades … this is the best time of the year to explore cosmic landmarks.
8) Relax
Oh boy, is this an important one? It’s after midnight, you’re sleeping down, snagged in the blanket, darkened, and your eyes focused on infinity. You start having nightmares for a few days … and the next thing you know, the sun has risen and you are swollen with frostbite.
Take a nap in the afternoon if you want. I allow you.
9) Friends, family, neighbors
Having other futures with you will help you stay awake, and honestly, the fun and beauty of meteor showers is the most shared. One of my favorite times with my daughter was watching Leonids meteor showers when she was younger. She had a blast, and not because she had to stay with her dad until 3am … but after that, that’s a big part of it too.
10) Appreciate what you are seeing
Read on meteor showers, what they are, what we have learned from them. Geminids 3200 are debris from an asteroid called Phaethon, which sometimes acts a bit like a comet (every other fountain comes from debris by comets). Asteroids orbit the sun for billions of years, and you see small parts of them – no bigger than grains of sand – as they slam into your atmosphere at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per second. How cool is that I think it’s fun to learn more about an event, especially the one you’re attending.
Bonus) wonder
This can be the best thing to bring and the easiest. The meteor shower is just awesome. It’s a cosmic show, and it’s free, and it’s very, very nice.
Enjoy this!
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