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Geminid Meteor Shower

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Second Meteor Shower Might Join Geminids This Week

NASA says second comet could produce up to 30 meteors per hour.

  Sky watchers in Crystal Lake and Cary may get a double show Thursday and Friday night. NASA scientists say a second meteor shower may appear near the constellation Pisces, according to NASA Science News. The shower could be active at the same time as the anticipated Geminid, which forecasters say could be the best meteor show of the year. The source of the new shower is Comet Wirtanen, according to  Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Cooke recommends sky watchers have a "meteor night" after sunset on Thursday, Dec. 13, when the criss-crossing debris streams could produce the greatest combined number of shooting stars. He said meteors from the new shower, if they appear, would be visible in the early evening, while the …

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Geminid Meteor Shower Expected on Nights of Dec. 13 and 14

The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on this 2012. Best viewing time is expected between 1 to 3 a.m. Dec. 14, 2012.

The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. If you liked the Perseids meteor shower 2012 in August, you should love this show. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. How spectacular is it? Just take a look at this video of the Geminid meteor shower. You can also look at some spectacular photos of the Geminids. Earthsky.org reports the Geminids …

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