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Geminid Meteor Shower
An anonymous reader writes "physorg.com is carrying a story on the upcoming Geminid meteor shower, which will peak on December 13th. This is usually a high-rate meteor shower, and this year will be no different. The early morning hours are the best time to see them. Space.com is also reporting on the shower. This shower was also covered by Slashdot in 2003, 2002, and 2001."
I have never seen the this shower because I live in a northerly climate that isnt hospitable to astronomy most of the time. Will it be worth the 5 hour trip south?
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Ok, so what you're telling us that this story is a dupe of a dupe of a dupe?
KFG
I for one welcome our apocalyptic overlords.
Where's Bruce Willis?
Take off every sig. For great justice.
Remember kids, for best viewing experience, just lie on the ground facing up - most of this can be seen with the naked eyes. If you want to try binoculars, that might work as well - but telescopes are not needed for this one. If someone had told me that the first time I went out to look, I wouldn't have wasted those first two hours wondering why I couldn't see anything. ;)
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Sounds painful, I'll stick with the more traditional water based shower thanks.
I sure love meteor showers (as everyone does I guess; I mean, free wishes!), but observing them in non-light polluted areas ain't easy. You have to get out of town, and even then, finding a 100% dark place is an adventure nowadays.
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It was interesting looking at the 01, 02, and 03 posts just to see how much the /. community has grown since then.
I live in the uk, near London. Will I be able to see it?
OK, you bastards. Who forgot to turn off the tap?
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
Weather forecast calls for clouds, rain and snow for the next 2-3 days. :-(
Why can't they schedule these things for clear nights?
If God had meant for man to see the sunrise, He would have scheduled it later in the day.
It's been running for three years? Which one of you bastards forgot to turn off the tap?
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
However, we got out far enough in the country last night for a party that we got to see about 20-30 events before getting in the car to head home. It simply rocked. Hoping to get out somewhere in the countryside again tomorrow night to try and catch more of them.
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Meteor showers used by radio amateurs for meteor scatter. Basically they point their beams at the meteor shower when it hits earth and have long distance QSOs (radio amateur contacts) by bouncing their signal from the rocks.
Thanks!
I think you meant it's as close as they get to sunbathing. The closest they get to _bathing_ is the water pipe running along the basement wall.
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
We're socked in with nothing but clouds now for the last three days straight. I look like Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining,' and my paranoia has the best of me right now. Say "hello" to Mr. Seasonal Affective Disorder.
kekeke
Run for your life! Bruce Willis says he isnt going to save us this time.
Whats the point of a cure for cancer or aids? Most people who need it and dont have the money wont be able to afford it.
Repent sinners.
This is news? This meteor storm happens every year, for millions of years! What next, a "fusion breakthrough" story about the mass of incandescent gas rising above the horizon every morning? ... OK, kidding: I love the announcements of astrophysical displays appearing on Slashdot. It's like "Weather for Nerds" in our little chromium-oxide rag. Maybe I've had too much holiday cheer, and am getting in touch with my inner Grinch.
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Don't worry if you miss this one, for Mother Nature has a Christmas present for you. The Ursids are next. They max out on December 22-23. It's not as strong as the Geminid shower, but hey, it's still better than nothing.
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
You fool. Bring out your dead.
"Early morning is the best time..." But from which bit of the planet? USA, presumably.
If a tree falls in the woods and noone's there to hear it fall, will it still make noise? If the Earth moves through the Geminid stream and noone reports on it, will there still be a meteor shower?
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
Brockman: (Wearing tons of gold jewelery after Old Springfield discovers gold in dry river) "Thanks to the people in New Springfield, we'll all be taking golden showers!"
(Studio crew busts up)
Brockman: "......what?"
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
CmdrTaco's golden shower is expected to peak at the same time.
am i rite?
Diet rite!
I was out walking the dog last night and saw four meteors in the several minutes I was outside. If it weren't for the fact that I live with a lot of light pollution from Dallas I probably would have seen some more. The skies were very clear around here too.
Remember, in a few weeks, the year number will increment for all users of the Gregorian calendar.
You read it here on /. first! Warn all your friends -- don't be one of those saps still writing 2004 on your checks come next January!
How does the Slashdot Effect happen given that no slashdotters ever RTFA?
From space.com
If you were disappointed with the meager showing put on by this year's Leonid meteor shower, don't fret. What could be the best meteor display of the year is scheduled to reach its peak on Monday night, Dec. 13.
Skywatchers with dark skies away from city lights could see one or two meteors every minute during the Geminid meteor shower. The greatest activity is expected to be visible from North America, Europe and Africa.
The Geminids get their name from the constellation of Gemini, the Twins. On the night of this shower's maximum, the meteors will appear to emanate from a spot in the sky near the bright star Castor in Gemini. [Sky Map ]
Typically strong
The Geminid meteors are usually the most satisfying of all the annual showers, even surpassing the famous Perseids of August. Studies of past displays show that this shower has a reputation for being rich both in slow, bright, graceful meteors and fireballs as well as faint meteors, with relatively fewer objects of medium brightness.
Geminids typically encounter Earth at 22 miles per second (35 kilometers per second), roughly half the speed of a Leonid meteor. Many Geminids are yellowish in hue. Some even appear to form jagged or divided paths.
The Earth moves quickly through this meteor stream. Rates increase steadily for two or three days before maximum. So over the weekend, viewers between midnight and dawn might see a shooting star every few minutes. The number of meteors drops off sharply after the peak. Renegade forerunners and late stragglers might be seen for a week or more before and after maximum.
Ideal conditions
The Geminids perform excellently in any year, but British meteor astronomer Alastair McBeath has expects a "superb year" in 2004. Last year's display was seriously compromised by bright moonlight, when a bright gibbous Moon came up over the horizon during the late evening hours and washed-out many of the fainter Geminid streaks.
But this year, the Moon will be at New phase Dec. 11. On the peak night, the Moon will be a skinny crescent, low in the west-southwest at dusk and setting before 6 p.m. That means the sky will be dark and moonless for the balance of the night, making for perfect viewing conditions.
According to McBeath, the Geminids are predicted to reach peak activity on Monday at 22:20 GMT, which is 5:20 p.m. EST. Locations from Europe and North Africa east to central Russian and Chinese longitudes are in the best position to catch the very crest of the shower, when the rates conceivably could exceed 120 per hour, or two every minute. [Predictions for Select Cities]
Maximum rates persist at only marginally reduced levels for some 6 to 10 hours, McBeath says, so other places, such as North America, should enjoy some fine Geminid activity as well.
When to watch
Indeed, under normal conditions on the night of maximum activity, with ideal dark-sky conditions, at least 60 to 120 Geminid meteors can be expected to burst across the sky every hour on the average. Light pollution greatly cuts the numbers, so city and suburban dwellers will see far fewer.
Generally speaking, depending on your location, Gemini begins to come up above the east-northeast horizon right around the time evening twilight is coming to an end. So you might catch sight of a few early Geminids as soon as the sky gets dark. There is a fair chance of perhaps catching sight of some "Earth-grazing" meteors.
Earthgrazers are long, bright shooting stars that streak overhead from a point near to even just below the horizon. Such meteors are so distinctive because they follow long paths nearly parallel to our atmosphere.
Jimmy Westlake imaged this Geminid in 1985. Click to enlarge it. More about the image below.
The Geminids begin to appear noticeably more numerous in the hours after 10 p.m. local time Monday, because the shower's radiant is already fairly high in the eastern sky by then. The best views, however, come around 2 a.m.
Perhaps I'll see a streak or two as I'm trudging to my Statistics for Engineers exam at 0645 AM or so.
Two years ago I stayed out till 4am or so watching Leonids, they were cool but the display was dissapointing (even tho skys were clear) compared to how much they had been hyped as having a huge turnout that year. Would probably stay out and look for these but that exam...
If you can't see the value in jet powered ants you should turn in your nerd card. - Dunbal (464142)
President Bush is initiating plans to build a meteor-shower protection shield above China... with modular extension capabilities for later optional purposes.
If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
Ok, so what you're telling us that this story is a dupe of a dupe of a dupe?
No. In order to qualify as an official "dupe," a story must be posted an unreasonably short amount of time after one nearly identical to it, or in such a way as to give comments under said story the grounds to mock the incompetent discernment exercised by a mod in posting the story.
hm... interesting. i love to see that.
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. . .or in such a way as to give comments under said story the grounds to mock the incompetent discernment exercised by a mod in posting the story.
But, don't we, like, have those grounds for every story?
KFG
Most people see this article as a dupe, but I as a new poster & young adult (only 20 years old) didnt know this was a recurring meteor shower, and was welcomed by the newspost, as I'm currently making plans to go and see it. Don't pass off yearly events so easily cause you already know of it, most people unfortunately dont.
a beowulf cluster of those...
It may be possible to observe the radio effects of the meteor shower without being a ham or having an extensive station.
Regular FM radio and TV broadcasts are also reflected by the ionized trails.
Try tuning to an empty channel, as low on the dial as possible. Of course, for TV you'll need a set with a regular antenna, not cable or satellite. For FM, your car radio is probably the best radio you own for this purpose.
Sit there and listen/watch. You should see/hear brief bursts of signal. If you're really lucky, you'll hear something that will allow you to identify the station you saw/heard.
Might be something interesting to listen to while you're waiting for visible meteors -- or for the clouds to go away...
Go to Mt. Pinos. If you live around the LA area, just hop on the I-5 north. Keep going until you get to a sign that says "Frazier Park" and turn off. Then head past the gas stations and keep on going straight. You'll pass through town, into the hills (with lots of little country homes) and finally into the winding road that goes up Mount Pinos. As you go up the windy little road, you'll notice little signs on the right side of the road that have numbers on them... The road ends at 13.50.
When you arrive, the view is just breathtaking. Every constellation clearly visible. The end of the road is a large, cleared parking area ringed by trees up to about 20 degrees elevation. And it's definetly Geminid season... I saw about 10 or 12 meteors in the occasional times I looked up over about 3 hours.
Come heavily dressed (hits freezing before midnight): I find that two shirts and a jacket plus sweat pants and windbreaker pants will keep you warm for about 3-4 hours.
To get an idea of the weather, use the Mt. Pinos Dark Sky Clock.
(I'd watch from the summit but it's gonna be colder up there.)
The most convenient airports are ITO and KOA in that order. :)
Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
I saw several Meteors between 11pm last night and 2am this morning on the North Wales coast while doing some field work on some lagoons there (don't ask, Ok). It was certainly the best view of meteors I have had made even better by seeing some reflections of them in the pools. In Somerset you will certainly be able to see them unless you're: a) in a town centre b) standing below a street light c) It's cloudy (Yes, I know someone who spent hours looking on a cloudy night) d) blind e) unlucky It might take a while and don't expect to see one in 5 minutes - I was lucky last night as I'd forgotten about it until I saw a streak across the sky and started to look. I was also unlucky as my welly leaked and it wasn't all that warm last night... Limax Max (a geek who gets out - almost)
But what I want to know is, where near Minneapolis (less than 30 min. drive preferably) can I go to see this clearly? I mean, I'd feel like a retard if we drove out there and then its like, whoops, no meteor shower.
Also, whats the best time to drive out to watch?
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OK, is it just me, or does the word "upcoming" seem to imply enough time to actually plan to watch this? I mean, if it peaks tomorrow that's not much advance notice, now is it?
Though maybe the submitter sent in the article last week, and Taco just didn't get around to publishing it until today. Let's check the original article....
The best meteor shower of 2004 peaks on Dec. 13th
December 10, 2004
Yeah, three days is enough notice to clear a schedule. Thirteen hours ain't. Thanks for nuthin, Commander.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
will it be visible in the seattle, WA area and around what time?
Oh, good one. I read that sentence and thought, "Great, now the editors are calling 'DUPE' in the blurbs but still post it!"
I predict this story will also be covered in 2005, 2006, 2007, and twice in 2008. That will be the last one though, since the second Geminid story for 2008 will be "Killer Asteroid Hidden in Geminid Shower".
wah wah, you're such a fucking nerd elitist. guess what, nerdio - you're still a loser, no matter how much you try to imagine people below you.
so, living on the south edge of a good-sized city... any chance of me seeing this, or should I drive out to the sticks that night?
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
must have been a pretty big meteorite, i saw it comming down with a main white body and lots of sparkly particles comming off and it was about 1/2 the size of the moon from my vantage point... I was thinking it was a plane that blew up or something nasty like that for a while after I saw it :)
No, Anonymous loser Coward, I am actually a geek, because I can relate to other people, not just machines. You aren't even a nerd, because you can't recognize a joke even when it's explicitly labeled. You are some kind of undefined loser, dragging arbitrary hatred and insults out of nowhere, anonymously, flinging them at someone you don't understand. Knowing I'm better than you doesn't make me "elitist"; it just shows that my spinal cord is connected firmly to my brain. Your slimy trail on this thread is disgusting, Anonymous slug Coward - spare us both your further humiliation by refraining from posting in it again. At least until you have something worthwhile to say, or I'm replaced by your level of Anonymous invertebrate Cowards.
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I hate living the city, I miss chasing Tornados on the plains, seeing comets and meteor showers and the Milky Way. Most people in cities don't even know you can see the galaxy we live in or the one next door. Then again I love being gainfully employeed and very fast internet.
We have clear weather scheduled for Tokyo--if the sun doesn't get up first!
Stop the Earth, I want off . . .
Production Notes/Status:
Status: Pre-production
Comments: Filming set to begin Summer 2005?
So, that's not where he is.
The Spoon
Updated 6/28/2011
The International Meteor Organization has some guidelines online for reporting your observations of the Geminids. Take a look at http://www.imo.net/news/news.html#geminids2004 Good luck... Luc
Every time I hear of one of these on the news, I figure I'm going to see something like high-carbon steel on a grinding wheel in the sky. I go outside at the appointed time for 10 or 15 minutes and see nothing but sky and stars. I live in a burb of Washington, DC, so I presume light pollution is the problem. Just how many per minute should I be able to see staring at one fixed area of sky?
As to noise, I'd had the opposite happen. I lived in a quiet place for all of my life. One week away, in a noisy place, and the first night was TOO QUIET for comfortable sleep! Odd!
The clearance system sounds logical. It is not. It is completely arbitrary. -- John Bolton
I love missing out on meteor showers and lunar eclipses because it's cloudy and raining. At least it's not cold, as we rarely get below freezing.
with a pair of binoculars. Meteors zip across the sky and are gone in a flash. Most only last a split second.