The Geminids’ radiant is just 1.3° northwest (to the lower right) of Castor, so for all intents and purposes, you can consider Castor the general location of the shower’s radiant. The other head, slightly brighter magnitude 1.2 Pollux, lies 4.5° southeast (to the left) of Castor. That bright white star is magnitude 1.6 Castor, one of the Twins’ heads. To find the radiant, look about 40° directly above Bellatrix, Orion’s left shoulder (to the right of Betelgeuse on the sky, as the Hunter’s figure is generally drawn facing us).
local time, the Geminids’ radiant is still 65° high in the west. local time on the 14th - to get out and enjoy the show. That will bump up your chances of seeing fainter meteors along with the shower's brightest fireballs.īecause of that waxing gibbous Moon right at the shower’s peak, it’s best to wait until moonset - around 3 A.M. You can offset these losses slightly by choosing a dark observing site with as little artificial light as possible. Namely, a bright Moon and the fact that Gemini will not be at the zenith at that time, but instead slowly sinking in the west. That’s a pretty high rate however, it will be attenuated by two things. During the shower's peak, the maximum expected zenithal rate - that is, the maximum number of meteors per hour that could be seen if the radiant were directly above in the sky - is 150 meteors per hour. The Moon during the morning of the shower’s peak is a waxing gibbous in Pisces.
The Geminid meteor shower is active from December 4th to the 17th this year, officially peaking at 2 A.M. So, even though it’s getting chilly outside for most of us, it’s more than worth stepping outside before dawn on December 14 to catch some of the action for yourself. The International Meteor Organization (IMO) considers the Geminids both the best and the most reliably observable meteor shower of the year. Using a red flashlight, either a red LED or a standard flashlight covered with red electrical tape, help preserve your night vision.This week, it’s time to enjoy winter’s premier meteor shower: The Geminids peak early in the morning on Tuesday, December 14.When heading out to enjoy nature at night, always remember to dress in plenty of layers on cooler nights, prepared for at least 10 degrees cooler than the forecasted low.Several mobile apps are available to help you in finding constellations and other stellar events. A planisphere is an excellent tool to aid in learning the stars and constellations.An ideal pair would be in the 7X50 or 10X50 range, but almost any will offer an enhanced view and allow you to see more stars than the naked eye. A pair of binoculars, perhaps ones you may already own, can offer a wondrous window on the universe.A reclining outdoor lounge or camping chair is another option if you prefer to do your viewing off the ground. A blanket or sleeping bag spread on the ground can be a nice viewing location.The MDC has this advice for prepping for a night of meteor spotting or stargazing: FOX4 Weather: View the latest Kansas City forecasts, maps and radar
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