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Geminid Meteor Shower

Friday, December 14, 2012

Geminids 2012 May Coincide with Brand New Meteor Shower Dec. 13

NASA scientist says two debris streams may cross after sunset Thursday.

There are plenty of meteor showers in the late fall – we’ve seen the Orionids in October, and the Taurids and Leonids in November. If you got outside at the right time, and the weather was nice, maybe you saw a few “shooting stars.” Tonight, however, may be different. That’s because we may be treated to not one, but two meteor showers at the same time, according to NASA. In addition to the peak of the Geminid shower, there may be a brand new meteor shower debuting after sunset tonight, Dec. 13. The new, as-yet-to-be-named shower is courtesy of Comet Wirtanen, discovered in 1948, according to Bill Cooke, from NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.   As for the source of the Geminids, it’s somewhat of a mystery, Cooke said on NASA’s website. “…

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Spectacular Geminid Meteor Shower 2012: When to Watch This Week

EarthSky.org is saying that because there will be no moon, 2012 will be a great year to see this meteor shower.

The final major meteor shower of the year, the Geminid meteor shower 2012, will peak overnight on Thursday, Dec. 13 into Friday morning and if you are willing to stay up late you should be able to see a great show.  NASA reports that the Geminids is a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over time the rate of visible meteors has increased and now viewers can expect to see 80 and 120 meteors per hour at its peak. Earthsky.org reports viewers can begin to watch the Geminids starting at 9 or 10 p.m. on Thursday. The peak will likely be between 1 to 3 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 14. That’s when the shower’s radiant point is highest in the sky as seen around the world.   "With…

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