I’m Rob Webb, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare. Joining me today is my son, Soccorso.

 

13th – 14th – Geminid Meteor Shower –  The Geminids are usually a good shower, with up to 100 meteors per hour.  That means that, even though this is not a great year for them (Full Moon will brighten the sky and reduce how many meteors we’ll see), hanging outside for 20-30 minutes should still bring you some good sights.

When? Really, any time of the night is good. After midnight is always best…

Where do I look? The whole sky, but note Gemini is where the radiant is - where the meteors will appear to be coming from. Gemini will be in the East after sunset, South after midnight, West in the morning.

But be well prepared…

• Dedicate at least 20-30 minutes to being outside and not looking at your phone - this allows your eyes to get dark adapted and reduces the risk of you missing one because you’re going in-and-out. Stay dark-adapted by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  
• Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or hammock.
• Dress warmly. LAYERS!!!
• Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear.
• Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  
• You never know when a nice meteor will burn up, so take a nice look at the sky in general, noting that the meteors will appear to go from the radiant and outward. 

 

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