We may have the best chance of the year to see a meteor shower tonight! That's right tonight!
The Geminid Meteor Shower is underway currently (as of December 13 when I type this blog). However it could be an even better show because of another previous comet called Comet Wirtanen. Earth is going to pass through the debris of this Comet Wirtanen at the same time the Geminid Meteor Shower is ongoing. The combination could produce up to 130 meteors per hour!
So here's what you need to know:
- Meteor shower peak December 13-14
- Best time to see these is 2-3 a.m. local time, possibly peaking at 130 meteors/hr
- You can look to the sky any time after dark though, as the Comet Wirtanen will produce roughly 30 meteors/hour early in the evening
- Best place to look is to the east, toward the constellation Gemini
- We have a good chance at seeing some activity!
Our local forecast calls for a partly cloudy night tonight, on the evening of Dec.13-14, 2012. There may be some extra clouds getting in the way at times to the north, from Plattsburgh to Massena, Burlington to Newport. However further south will be much clearer. Nonetheless we aren't anticipating any precipitation tonight, which suggests clouds should be broken in spots, if not totally clear in other areas.
I've been reading up a lot on this topic this morning. While I'm a meteorologist, I don't know quite that much on "meteors" themselves. I'll admit that, but I'm learning more and more each day. Here are the links to the information I've been getting:
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/09dec_rockcomet/
http://earthsky.org/space/new-meteor-shower-might-coincide-with-2012-geminids
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/12/5-tips-nasa-catching-tonights-geminid-meteor-shower/4152/
Both pictures on the left are courtesy www.spaceweather.com which is another helpful web site. Enjoy the show!
-Meteorologist Steve Glazier
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