Tonight – December 12, 2015 – should be a fine night for watching the Geminid meteor shower, although the optimal night might not be until tomorrow (night of December 13) or the night after (night of December 14). At mid-northern latitudes, you can start watching for Geminid meteors around 9 p.m. The Geminids fall most prolifically in the wee hours after midnight, centered around 2 a.m. local time. At its peak, you can expect to see up to 50 or more meteors per hour.
People always ask:
How can I find the radiant point of the meteor shower?
Geminid meteors radiate from near star Castor in Gemini.
Castor and Pollux, the Twin Brothers of Greek mythology. Photo via Flickr user ketrin1407
EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store
And we want you to know that you don’t have to locate the radiant of the Gemini meteor shower to see the Geminids.
You only need to find a dark, open sky away from pesky artificial lights, lie down comfortably on a reclining lawn chair and look upward. Remember that it takes as long as 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark, so give yourself at least an hour of viewing time. Meteors often come in spurts and are interspersed by lulls. The Geminids streak through any number of age-old constellations, but if you trace their paths backward, these meteors appear to radiate from the star Castor in the constellation Gemini.
So that’s one way of finding the radiant. Just wait to see a meteor and trace its path backwards. After several meteors, you’ll start to get the general idea of its location on the sky’s dome.
But maybe you want to see the radiant before you see any meteors. In that case, our chart should help. The two brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux are noticeable on the sky’s dome for being bright and close together. Unless you’re in a dark sky, don’t expect to see the two streams of stars extending from Castor and Pollux. The radiant for the Geminids is near the star Castor.
From mid-northern latitudes, Castor climbs above the eastern horizon around 8 to 9 p.m. local time. From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, this star will rise later in the evening. But from everywhere worldwide the radiant will be highest in the sky and the meteors will fall most abundantly around 2 a.m. local time. Moving westward through the night, the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini climb high overhead after midnight and swing into the western sky by dawn.
Of course the Geminid meteors don’t really come from the star Castor. The radiant nearly aligns with this star by happenstance. When Earth in its orbit crosses the orbital path of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, bits and pieces from this mysterious “rock comet” burn up in the Earth’s upper atmosphere as Geminid meteors some 100 kilometers (60 miles) above Earth’s surface.
The star Castor, on the other hand, lies way outside our solar system, at a distance of about 51 light-years.
Are you familar with the constellation Orion and the line of three stars known as Orion’s Belt? If, so you can star-hop to the Gemini stars Castor and Pollux.
According to Greek sky lore, Castor and Pollux were twin brothers, born from Leda, their mortal mother, and sired by Zeus, the immortal god. Though the brothers were united in spirit, they were divided by circumstance. Castor, the mortal, was slain in battle, leaving his immortal brother inconsolable with grief. Pollux asked Zeus to release him from immortality, so he could join his brother in the great beyond.
Today, the Gemini Twins stand together in the heavens, a testament to the redemptive power of brotherly love.
Bottom line: The Geminid meteors appear to radiate from near the star Castor in Gemini. Best way to find this radiant is to see a meteor! Then trace its path backwards. But what if you want to find the radiant before seeing a meteor?
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1IIiuZZ
Tonight – December 12, 2015 – should be a fine night for watching the Geminid meteor shower, although the optimal night might not be until tomorrow (night of December 13) or the night after (night of December 14). At mid-northern latitudes, you can start watching for Geminid meteors around 9 p.m. The Geminids fall most prolifically in the wee hours after midnight, centered around 2 a.m. local time. At its peak, you can expect to see up to 50 or more meteors per hour.
People always ask:
How can I find the radiant point of the meteor shower?
Geminid meteors radiate from near star Castor in Gemini.
Castor and Pollux, the Twin Brothers of Greek mythology. Photo via Flickr user ketrin1407
EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store
And we want you to know that you don’t have to locate the radiant of the Gemini meteor shower to see the Geminids.
You only need to find a dark, open sky away from pesky artificial lights, lie down comfortably on a reclining lawn chair and look upward. Remember that it takes as long as 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark, so give yourself at least an hour of viewing time. Meteors often come in spurts and are interspersed by lulls. The Geminids streak through any number of age-old constellations, but if you trace their paths backward, these meteors appear to radiate from the star Castor in the constellation Gemini.
So that’s one way of finding the radiant. Just wait to see a meteor and trace its path backwards. After several meteors, you’ll start to get the general idea of its location on the sky’s dome.
But maybe you want to see the radiant before you see any meteors. In that case, our chart should help. The two brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux are noticeable on the sky’s dome for being bright and close together. Unless you’re in a dark sky, don’t expect to see the two streams of stars extending from Castor and Pollux. The radiant for the Geminids is near the star Castor.
From mid-northern latitudes, Castor climbs above the eastern horizon around 8 to 9 p.m. local time. From temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, this star will rise later in the evening. But from everywhere worldwide the radiant will be highest in the sky and the meteors will fall most abundantly around 2 a.m. local time. Moving westward through the night, the stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini climb high overhead after midnight and swing into the western sky by dawn.
Of course the Geminid meteors don’t really come from the star Castor. The radiant nearly aligns with this star by happenstance. When Earth in its orbit crosses the orbital path of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, bits and pieces from this mysterious “rock comet” burn up in the Earth’s upper atmosphere as Geminid meteors some 100 kilometers (60 miles) above Earth’s surface.
The star Castor, on the other hand, lies way outside our solar system, at a distance of about 51 light-years.
Are you familar with the constellation Orion and the line of three stars known as Orion’s Belt? If, so you can star-hop to the Gemini stars Castor and Pollux.
According to Greek sky lore, Castor and Pollux were twin brothers, born from Leda, their mortal mother, and sired by Zeus, the immortal god. Though the brothers were united in spirit, they were divided by circumstance. Castor, the mortal, was slain in battle, leaving his immortal brother inconsolable with grief. Pollux asked Zeus to release him from immortality, so he could join his brother in the great beyond.
Today, the Gemini Twins stand together in the heavens, a testament to the redemptive power of brotherly love.
Bottom line: The Geminid meteors appear to radiate from near the star Castor in Gemini. Best way to find this radiant is to see a meteor! Then trace its path backwards. But what if you want to find the radiant before seeing a meteor?
EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Supplies limited.
from EarthSky http://ift.tt/1IIiuZZ
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire