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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

2023 Geminid Meteor Shower

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.
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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: [e-mail]

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 

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I set-aside about 90 minutes to see what I could catch on these Geminid meteors...and was rewarded.

I set up my Canon T7i DSLR, set it to capture 30 second exposures at ISO 100, I used a zoom lens of 18mm to 55mm and kept it at it's widest and set the f stop at 6.3... a good balance of light gathering without blowing out the frame with excessive city light pollution.

At the Chicago Astronomer Observatory, I use a reclining chair that sits low to the ground and set the camera tripod low for easy reach, snapping the exposures with gloved hand.

I witnessed about five meteor streaks, but only captured three, which were very fast and white in color, signifying a Magnesium composition. No sounds this time not dust trails.  This one above, was the brightest that I saw and took me by surprise, as I just pressed the shutter.  Must have been a very large grain ionzing, but no outbursts.



No telescope or binoculars and the sky was actually decent, with good transparency and seeing. I could view the Pleiades well naked eye and the Orion nebula area without any optical gear. A rare night.

The stars are slightly trailed, due to the 30 exposures and perhaps this evening, I'll set the camera on top of the 8" SCT and track for a more dramatic capture.

I thought if I am to capture any Geminids, it might as well have old friends of Orion and Taurus in frame for a composed image....I wasn't disappointed.

The last one I captured was a relatively faint one and I think it's a Rogue meteor, on it's own and ja non-Geminid due to it's angle from the radient...joining the party.


Tonight, the weather will be warmer and still clear...so there is another session in store, but walk away from anyone who insists that you cannot experience Astronomy in the city.  The Chicago Astronomer will always set you right.

Stay tuned.

Astro Joe