Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Dec 11, 2023 16:21:00 GMT -6
2023 Geminid Meteor Shower
13 - 14 December
13 - 14 December
Catching space debris grains glowing high in the atmosphere is always a thrill and this year might be a good one, but some facts and realities...and no...you will not view 150 meteors per hour....
Meteors usually stem from comets, casting off debris as they orbit the Sun and leave behind a trail of dust and grains. When the Earth passes thru this debris field, those grains glow by Ionization, electrons stripped away from their nuclei, creating a plasma shell - the familiar glow that we enjoy. It's a mis-conception that meteors "burn up"...it's more of they erode and wear away. (Rain drops and snow particles use the dust of meteors to form around by the tons.)
This meteor shower is different than most of the rest, as the debris does not originate from a comet, but rather asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This along with the Quadrantids are the only two not coming from comets.
HERE IS THE REAL SCOOP -
You do not have to leave the city to view meteor showers - and this is no exception.
"Experts" insist and push that one has to leave the city to view meteors, but right from downtown Chicago, one can enjoy the brighter streaks quite easily, just as long you can find a shaded spot to look up, out of direct glare. Yes, granted...a darker locale will tease out the dimmer streaks, but one would have to travel at least 25 to 40 miles away from under the light pollution dome of the metropolis and find a camp ground or park that allows the public to remain well after 10pm. Not too many of these places and Chicago parks close at 11:00 pm.
/
I prefer to remain close to home, just west of Downtown Chicago, with all the comforts and safety it provides... and still catch a good show of the larger & brighter streaks of plasma glow. But, if you are adventurous and enjoy long drives for the show, there is a lot to said about bundling up in the pre-winter chill and under a star filled sky...with maybe a campfire going on. a hot toddy and a warm friend.
WHAT TO EXCPECT -
HERE IS THE REAL SCOOP -
You do not have to leave the city to view meteor showers - and this is no exception.
"Experts" insist and push that one has to leave the city to view meteors, but right from downtown Chicago, one can enjoy the brighter streaks quite easily, just as long you can find a shaded spot to look up, out of direct glare. Yes, granted...a darker locale will tease out the dimmer streaks, but one would have to travel at least 25 to 40 miles away from under the light pollution dome of the metropolis and find a camp ground or park that allows the public to remain well after 10pm. Not too many of these places and Chicago parks close at 11:00 pm.
/
I prefer to remain close to home, just west of Downtown Chicago, with all the comforts and safety it provides... and still catch a good show of the larger & brighter streaks of plasma glow. But, if you are adventurous and enjoy long drives for the show, there is a lot to said about bundling up in the pre-winter chill and under a star filled sky...with maybe a campfire going on. a hot toddy and a warm friend.
WHAT TO EXCPECT -
Start your search at about 8:00 pm local time. This is well enough after dark and get your eyes accustomed for the meteors. Look to the east, for the "Radiant", the apparent starting point where the meteors emanate from and you will find the constellation of Gemini - hence the name of this shower.
But....meteors can be spotted anywhere in the sky, so keep you head on pivot and pay attention your peripheral vision. And, do some science while you are looking. Different compositions of the debris create different colors...
Pay attention what color is the glow you witness...and the larger marble size ones leave a nice ghostly trail behind them. A rare treat.
You do NOT need optical equipment to view meteors, just use your eyes. But it is a good reason to set up a scope or binoculars to explore the cosmos and connect. You will get to see perhaps two or three meteors an hour....maybe more, but meteors are unpredictable and do not keep time schedules. Some meteor hunters have travelled many miles just to be disappointed viewing a small handful of streaks.
CAN YOU HEAR THEM...?
This is a debatable point by many and for decades. The argument is that the meteor ionizes so high in the atmosphere, that there are not enough air molecules to propagate a sound wave. But, they also angle down, toward the Earth and thicker air, so yea, it's possible. And, I have heard such myself, right in the city, over the traffic of an early morning watch. Sounding like distant weak fireworks...a few seconds after the light of a bright streak. on one or two occasions. So keep an eye and ear out.
150 meteors per hour...!!!
Just No.
This is media hype, over zealous planetariums and promotion by the less than knowledgeable. There are outbursts, called "Meteor Storms" where one streak after another are viewed for about an hour or so, but non are predicted here for this one. The Moon will not interfere with glare for this year's shower, so that is good for meteor hunters.
The best time would be from midnight till just before dawn on the early morning's of the 13th & 14th (Peak dates), but you can hunt for these streaks before and after the peak. So if throwing out the trash at 4am, look up...you just might catch a meteor....I know I have.
If you spot any or manage to take photographs of the shower, send them to me on Facebook, email them at: chicasgoastronomer@gmail.com
or...you could just post them here in this thread.
Good hunting to all and the Chicago Astronomer will always set you straight.
Astro Joe
But....meteors can be spotted anywhere in the sky, so keep you head on pivot and pay attention your peripheral vision. And, do some science while you are looking. Different compositions of the debris create different colors...
Pay attention what color is the glow you witness...and the larger marble size ones leave a nice ghostly trail behind them. A rare treat.
You do NOT need optical equipment to view meteors, just use your eyes. But it is a good reason to set up a scope or binoculars to explore the cosmos and connect. You will get to see perhaps two or three meteors an hour....maybe more, but meteors are unpredictable and do not keep time schedules. Some meteor hunters have travelled many miles just to be disappointed viewing a small handful of streaks.
CAN YOU HEAR THEM...?
This is a debatable point by many and for decades. The argument is that the meteor ionizes so high in the atmosphere, that there are not enough air molecules to propagate a sound wave. But, they also angle down, toward the Earth and thicker air, so yea, it's possible. And, I have heard such myself, right in the city, over the traffic of an early morning watch. Sounding like distant weak fireworks...a few seconds after the light of a bright streak. on one or two occasions. So keep an eye and ear out.
150 meteors per hour...!!!
Just No.
This is media hype, over zealous planetariums and promotion by the less than knowledgeable. There are outbursts, called "Meteor Storms" where one streak after another are viewed for about an hour or so, but non are predicted here for this one. The Moon will not interfere with glare for this year's shower, so that is good for meteor hunters.
The best time would be from midnight till just before dawn on the early morning's of the 13th & 14th (Peak dates), but you can hunt for these streaks before and after the peak. So if throwing out the trash at 4am, look up...you just might catch a meteor....I know I have.
If you spot any or manage to take photographs of the shower, send them to me on Facebook, email them at: chicasgoastronomer@gmail.com
or...you could just post them here in this thread.
Good hunting to all and the Chicago Astronomer will always set you straight.
Astro Joe