It seems like we are in a rut. That rut is that the moon that will be around for the Geminds Meteor Shower that are coming in December 2008. The moon is becoming a little bit of a nuisance by washing out our views of beautiful shooting stars. The last round of showers, the Leonids Meteor Shower , had a moonlight to contend with, and the Geminids of December 2008 will also be just a few days past a full moon. Thus, the bright night sky will make for a difficult night of sky observing.
The Geminids are expected to produce about 75 meteors an hour. However, the moon will likely cut down the actual number that are visible. These showers occur in the heart of winter, so be sure to dress warm if you decide to venture out in the cold night air to view these showers. The meteors will appear to radiate from Caster, one of the brighter stars in the night sky. The best thing about the Geminids is that they are consistent from year to year. Even with a bright moon in place, you should be able to sight a few. So, if you have never seen a shooting star in your life, spend an hour out in the night air on the evenings of December 13th and 14th, and you are bound to see at least a couple. Just be sure to get away from the bright city lights.
In either case, in my opinion, the night sky is just as beautiful to look at with a full moon in place as a new moon. There are still many constellations and features to view with bright moonlight.
1 comment:
For sure, stupid Moon,lol, I'll be out, unfortunately I'm finding the best times for any showers are between 2 and 5am.
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