If you’re a fan of stargazing, you won’t want to miss the peak of the Geminid meteor shower coming on Wednesday night.
How to watch meteor showers
Look for best viewing from 10pm Wednesday until 3am Thursday for best viewing. The best time to view meteors is around 2 a.m. when Gemini is at its highest level in the sky.
Geminids can produce up to 120 meteors per hour.
Clouds and moonlight, things that usually spoil meteor showers, won’t be a problem this year. Skies are expected to be mostly clear Wednesday evening with clearing continuing through the peak time of 2 a.m. until sunrise.
To see the most meteors
- The longer you look, the more you see. There may be periods of calm followed by two or three meteors falling per minute. Be patient and….
- Collect. Temperatures will be in the 20s and 30s.
- Give your eyes at least 15 minutes to adjust. You will be surprised at how many stars will be visible. Also leave your phone inside. Every time you look at it, your night vision recovery timer starts over again.
- Look at the darkest part of the sky. It may not be in the east towards the constellation Gemini. That’s okay, meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
- Meteors should be visible by 10 p.m. Before that, many meteors will be hidden below the horizon as Gemini rises.
Of course, light pollution will affect how much you can see, so the best location is somewhere away from city lights. The good news is that the moon will be almost new, so it will be less bright allowing for a better view of the shooting star.
Our skies are supposed to be clear Wednesday night, but that also means cold. If you’re planning to go out looking for a meteor shower, be sure to pack your bags.
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