Geminid Meteor Shower
It's that time of year again. While we are preparing for Christmas and New Years, the Gemind Meteor Shower is about to happen. For those of us who aren't in the know, the Geminids are one of the premier stargazing events of the year. First appearing in the 1860s, this cosmic light show occurs in mid-December of every year, with the greatest intensity normally falling on the 14th. To patient observers willing to brave the winter chill (or lucky observers living in the Southern Hemisphere) meteor densities close to one hundred an hour will be a visual treat not soon forgotten.i
Being one of the most prominent and easy to spot meteor showers, the Geminids have plenty to offer the casual astronomer or someone looking for a cheap date. However don't think that professional astronomers, NASA, ESA, et all think this is some blasé affair. One of the most endearing aspects about the Geminids is that no one really knows what is going on. In general, meteor showers are caused by comets. What happens is that debris breaks off of the comets as they pass by Earth and sprint through the atmosphere where the friction from the air pressure causes them to burn up and cause what we see flying through the sky. The Geminids are different because they are not caused by a comet, but by what scientist believe is an asteroid, 3200 Pantheon. The real twist is that according to research done in 2009, as the 3200 Pantheon passed near the Sun it released the debris that dazzles human viewers in the form of meteors it only added 0.01% to the mass of the Geminid debris stream which is not nearly enough to sustain it over time.ii
 |
| KidCosmos.org |
To view the Geminids, find the Gemini constellation, near Orion which is normally much easier to spot. This December should be an all right month for viewing because the moon is only about half full and should not be bright enough to hide the meteors. The 14th of the month is normally the best night, but a healthy dose of meteors should be available to see every night until the 16th. To find a star map go here http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yoursky and input your latitude and longitude as well as the time you plan on being out to look. For those of us living in Armenia, Yerevan is located at 40º11'N and 44º30'E.
Do yourself a favor. Make a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, put a coat and a hat on, and step outside for an hour one night this week. Take your time, look at the sky, forget your problems, and space out (pun intended) for a while. It'll be fun.
0 comments:
Post a Comment