Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Dec 9, 2006 21:02:32 GMT -6
The Geminid Meteor Shower - 2006
I have never been a great observer of the Geminids, (Probably because it happens in the very cold pre-winter air), but this year the temps around Chicago will be tolerable and I will trek up to my garage roof to catch these pieces of space debris burning up in our atmosphere.
The Geminids should produce a fine display of 1-2 meteors every minute for North American observers, weather permitting. Brief bursts of activity could produce even higher rates. The nights and mornings surrounding the peak activity should prove rewarding, too.
The peak this year is on the 13/14 of December, with a 1/4 Moon. This should be ok, but no Moon would be better for the fainter ones. Start your observing session about 10:00 pm - the show will last till dawn. (It's always better to wait until after midnight, this is when the Earth faces open space and head on into the debris field.) Just look to the east to catch the meteors, but they can occur anywhere in the sky.
Space.com says:
"Many Geminids appear yellowish in hue. Some even seem to form jagged or divided paths.
At 2 grams per cubic centimeter on average, Geminid meteoroids are several times denser than the cometary dust flakes that supply most meteor showers, so they burn up less quickly. Add this to the relatively slow speed with which Geminids typically encounter Earth 22 miles per second (35 kilometers per second), or roughly half the speed of a Leonid meteor and you have the recipe for meteors that linger a bit longer in view than most".
At 2 grams per cubic centimeter on average, Geminid meteoroids are several times denser than the cometary dust flakes that supply most meteor showers, so they burn up less quickly. Add this to the relatively slow speed with which Geminids typically encounter Earth 22 miles per second (35 kilometers per second), or roughly half the speed of a Leonid meteor and you have the recipe for meteors that linger a bit longer in view than most".
If you are lucky and in a quiet place, you can actually hear the meteors "crackle" if large and close enough. I have heard a handful on rare occasions, and usually they have been yellow-green in color. Maybe you can catch a few making noise on the way down.
Good luck!... ;D