Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks 2019 DEC 13-14

[CentaurZ]

The annual Geminid Meteor Shower may already be underway. It is expected to peak during the night of 2019 DEC 13-14. Its radiant is in the constellation Gemini. That is the direction toward which the meteor tails point, but the meteors are equally likely to appear anywhere in your sky. The Geminids are debris from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

The Geminids have been presenting an increasingly intense shower in recent years. At the peak between 120 and 160 meteors per hour may be seen by some sharp-eyed folks. The show begins after Gemini rises in the early evening and intensifies until morning twilight. Although observers south of the tropics will have to wait until midnight. The waning gibbous Moon during the shower’s peak this year may present some interference.

Descriptions of the shower or perhaps even lucky photos would be welcome additions to this thread.

[orion25]

Thanks for the heads-up! This is one of my favorite showers. I remember them being quite prolific in 2014.  

Reggie

[scotty1]

I observed a moderately bright Geminid yesterday at about 21.20 GMT, this inspired (trick🙈ed) me into setting my camera running in the loft.

I saw another 2 meteors between 23.00-23.30 from the garden, they were not very bright, it was -1C so i called it a night.

It was likely too early for any quantity of  Geminids to be seen. If the sky clears the moon is a major hinderence this year...all on me surfaces.

Edited December 10, 2019 by scotty1

[Marvin Jenkins]

If the skies are clear you can count me in. I will stand in the freezing cold for a meteor shower no matter what. Sort of an unofficial club for night sky lunatics that don’t even need scopes. Could get you arrested for loitering in some places.

Try using astronomy as your defence in court and see how far it gets you. Those binoculars will add five to your sentence.

M

[Paul M]

It's the only meteor shower I make an effort for. I'm working a night shift that night so if it's clear I'll have a look. Just a shame about that Moon.

Anyone ever image a meteor transit the Moon?

[scotty1]

40 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

If the skies are clear you can count me in. I will stand in the freezing cold for a meteor shower no matter what. Sort of an unofficial club for night sky lunatics that don’t even need scopes. Could get you arrested for loitering in some places.

Try using astronomy as your defence in court and see how far it gets you. Those binoculars will add five to your sentence.

M

Hi Marvin,

I have already been asked by plod, why do i have cameras poking out of my loft sometimes 🤓. They are amazed that anyone would want to look for/photograph lightning, auroras, noctilucent clouds, or meteors comets. 

We should be watching T.V.....

 

Hi Paul,

I was looking at the Andromeda galaxy last year through binoculars and a meteor zipped through the view, and that was neat. This was while Comet Wirtenan was around.

 

During the full Lunar eclipse when we had the red moon, i think a meteoroid was filmed hitting the moon?, the eclipse made it easier to see the impact.

Edited December 10, 2019 by scotty1

[Marvin Jenkins]

20 minutes ago, Paul M said:

It's the only meteor shower I make an effort for. I'm working a night shift that night so if it's clear I'll have a look. Just a shame about that Moon.

Anyone ever image a meteor transit the Moon?

Good stuff, I hope you see a few in your lunch break. As for the question? Perhaps but the chances are that the moon and exposure rates for lunar photography just wouldn’t pick it up. Bit like trying to photograph Mercury, much better in transit or by orbiter,

I would imagine it is possible with a sizeable bolide, but when does that come along and crossing the moon!!! not to mention at night in the northern hemisphere.
 

perhaps it should be one of the SGL challenges. Could run longer than time itself.

Marv

[Marvin Jenkins]

5 minutes ago, scotty1 said:

Hi Marvin,

I have already been asked by plod, why do i have cameras poking out of my loft sometimes 🤓. They are amazed that anyone would want to look for lightning, auroras, noctilucent clouds, or meteors comets. 

We should be watching T.V.....

 

Hi Paul,

I was looking at the Andromeda galaxy last year through binoculars and a meteor zipped through the view, and that was neat. This was while Comet Wirtenan was around.

 

 

Just working out who is who. Who is plod? Unless I am missing something they are are not part of this thread.

I assume that Paul is Paul M, but I am still confused.

[tooth_dr]

2 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Just working out who is who. Who is plod?

the 'Plod' aka the police

[Marvin Jenkins]

4 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

the 'Plod' aka the police

Ahh nice one, they go by far worse language in my house. Heavens know why, they keep the monsters from our doors. Might be a legacy of family stories, due to the fact that my grandfather may have worked for the Richardson’s. 
 

Could just be a healthy distrust of authority. Got to keep free thinking alive. Can you imagine what Galileo must have lived through?  Let alone Copernicus?

[scotty1]

9 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Ahh nice one, they go by far worse language in my house. Heavens know why, they keep the monsters from our doors. Might be a legacy of family stories, due to the fact that my grandfather may have worked for the Richardson’s. 
 

Could just be a healthy distrust of authority. Got to keep free thinking alive. Can you imagine what Galileo must have lived through?  Let alone Copernicus?

Can you imagine what Galileo must have lived through?  Let alone Copernicus?

Yes but must of been awesome in their era to view the sky without light pollution. 

Clearer skies moving in from the west now behind the cold front.

 

[Star101]

Saw a beauty meteor streak northwards on my left as I stepped out into the garden tonight. And within a few moments I found another one on my Laptop screen while platesolving a bit too close to the moon   

[LukeSkywatcher]

Thought I'd missed it. Hopefully catch a few over next couple of nights.

[Marvin Jenkins]

The weather out there! I’m definitely going to miss it.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'll be missing it. Stoopid headcold.

[scotty1]

The weather turned out too be OK, if you were awake in the early hours of Saturday the 14th. Observed six bright Geminids between 02.00-02.40 GMT.

This one passed Orion

 

Also saw a couple on Saturday before the moon and cloud arrived, i missed this one flying through Taurus about 8pm looking east, but luckily my K5 was taking 15 seconds exps at 2000 ISO. By this time it was a bit cloudy.

 

regards

scotty1

[Paul M]

I made something of an effort around the peak period. Being on night shifts gave me a few opportunities but the weather wasn't best. Unfortunately I never saw one single meteor. 

Something of a clearing in the south and west, towards Orion in the early hours of the 14th gave me hope but it wasn't to be. 

 

[Fozzie]

I was lucky enough to see just to one, from 38,000 ft on a Virgin Atlantic 747 somewhere south of Greenland early morning UK time on the 13th... Just happened to glance out of the window at the right moment to catch it overhead.. very bright.. Didn't see another one..