Look up! Geminid Meteor Shower Begins This Week
By: Newsroom Solutions
Updated: December 13, 2010
One of the biggest sky shows of the year begins this week with the arrival of the annual Geminid meteor shower.
Scientists say the peak of the week-long shower will come just before dawn, Eastern time, on Tuesday. You'll see the falling stars by looking to the eastern horizon.
For those who like to stay up late, Rebecca Johnson of "StarDate" magazine says the best viewing will be after the moon sets around midnight.
Bill Cooke, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, says the shower is expected to generate between 60 to 80 meteors an hour or about one a minute.
According to NationalGeographic.com, Geminid meteors appear to radiate from the shower's namesake constellation, Gemini, the twins from Greek legend. Gemini will rise above the eastern horizon at about 9 p.m. local time, so sky-watchers should face northeast to spot the meteors.
Scientists say the peak of the week-long shower will come just before dawn, Eastern time, on Tuesday. You'll see the falling stars by looking to the eastern horizon.
For those who like to stay up late, Rebecca Johnson of "StarDate" magazine says the best viewing will be after the moon sets around midnight.
Bill Cooke, with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, says the shower is expected to generate between 60 to 80 meteors an hour or about one a minute.
According to NationalGeographic.com, Geminid meteors appear to radiate from the shower's namesake constellation, Gemini, the twins from Greek legend. Gemini will rise above the eastern horizon at about 9 p.m. local time, so sky-watchers should face northeast to spot the meteors.
Comments
Beautiful Meteor Shower last night around Midnight. Saw one beautiful Meteor towards the back of my house which is Southwest.. was amazed how long you could see the one Meteor......
Mountain View, Arkansas
Mountain View, Arkansas
Judy D.
January 6, 2011 at 4:07 pm
