Dazzling meteor shower on Wednesday!, page 1

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Topic started on 13-12-2011 @ 01:31 AM by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep

This has got me a bit excited, apparently it will be available with the naked eye, on the eastern horizon, without any need for fancy equipment.

Startling streaks of multi-coloured Geminids meteor shower will brighten up the sky on Wednesday night enthralling astronomy enthusiasts. One of the most spectacular meteor showers, Geminids produce up to 60 shooting stars.

"Astro lovers are expected to see shooting stars whizzing past in the skies as the Geminid meteor showers will be seen on the night of December 14 and 15, Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators (SPACE) president C B Devgun said. As the point of origin of the shower lies in the direction of the constellation of Gemini, they have been named Geminids.

The source of the meteor shower is not a comet but a rocky asteroid named 3200 Phaethon, which is in a highly elliptical 1.4 year orbit. The best time to view these multi-coloured bright, medium-speed meteors in the mesmerising night skies will be from 10.05pm to midnight in the eastern horizon tomorrow

Maybe i missed it, but the Article doesn't say if it is world wide, or just in a certain hemisphere.

Anyway, just a heads up for whomever is interested.

vvv

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 01:39 AM by Manhater

Watch it be cloudy and we won't get to see a thing.

Thanks

I'll keep my eye out.

Got my telescope ready.

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 01:41 AM by Phage

Moon's pretty big to make for a good show.
earthsky.org...

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 01:47 AM by WiZKiD111

Does anybody know if we are able to see this in Australia and if so what time roughly should I be keeping an eye out.

Much appreciated.

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 02:04 AM by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep

reply to post by WiZKiD111

Seems like it should be visible everywhere!!

Link

vvv

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 03:28 AM by GoldenObserver

reply to post by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep

For anyone wanting to look, the meteors will be able to be seen tonight (Tuesday) also, peaking at around 11:59 - 12:00 the 14th and 15th (Wednesday and Thursday).

edit on 12/13/2011 by GoldenObserver because: Addition

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 03:31 AM by PurpleDog UK

Originally posted by Manhater
Watch it be cloudy and we won't get to see a thing.

Thanks

I'll keep my eye out.

Got my telescope ready.

Don't be so pesimistic Manhater....

If you expect clouds to be there obscuring your view then they probably will be.....

A bit of positive energy please and you will be fine..

Cheers

PDUK

ps - has everyone noticed how vibrant and clear the moon has been over the past 3 days.......... it is completely mesmerizing at the moment...

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 05:26 PM by C.H.U.D.

Thanks for the reminder OP.

My partner and I saw a nice Geminid by chance a couple of hours ago (about 9.30 PM here in the UK) when we had just got back from the shops and parked the car. We were still in our car seats, and saw it through the wind screen. It must have been at least -4 magnitude (a "fireball" which is defined as being at least the brightness of Venus), and pure white in color. It shot down towards the WNW horizon, covering perhaps 30 degrees of sky in a second before disappearing just above the rooftops across the road from us.

There is already an existing thread on this topic FYI:
Geminids meteor shower - December 2011

reply posted on 13-12-2011 @ 06:41 PM by C.H.U.D.

The International Meteor Organization has a "live" Geminids 2011 activity profile that is showing the rate to already be around 55 per hour, and that rate is likely to continue to climb over the next few hours.

I was just out in the back garden, and saw 6 Geminids in around 10 minutes before some cloud rolled in. One of them was a very long -7 mag fireball that was pure white all the way till near the end, when it became slightly blue/green in color. Going out again for another look.

reply posted on 14-12-2011 @ 11:07 AM by Manhater

Yuh HUH!!!!!!!!!! Sure enough

There are the clouds.. Let's see if it clears up by tonight.