The Geminid meteor Shower 2012
The Geminid meteor shower is the grand finale of astronomical events in 2012 and is the most reliable and prolific of the annual meteor showers.
This year we are in for a special treat as the Moon will be absent when the Geminids are at their peak on the evening of the 12th/ 13th of December. This means that the sky should be at its darkest when the shower is expected and many more of the fainter meteors may be seen.
Numerous bright Geminid meteors
The Geminids are expected to yield in excess of 50 shooting stars per hour at peak for those with clear skies, the meteors it produces are usually bright with long persistent trains. If observing opportunities aren’t favorable or possible on the 12th/ 13th, meteor watchers can usually see high meteor activity a day or so either side of the peak.
As well as being the grand finale of 2012, the Geminids are special in another way; unlike the majority of all the other annual meteor showers the Geminids are thought to be from an object known as 3200 Phaethon – an asteroid not a comet.
Geminid Meteor Shower – Meteorwatch 2012
To celebrate this long anticipated event, there will be the Geminid Meteorwatch and anyone with an interest in the night sky can join in on twitter, facebook and Google+. The event will be an excellent opportunity to learn, share information,experiences, images and more whatever your level of interest, wherever you are on the planet and will run for approximately four days. All you need to do is follow along using the #meteorwatch hashtag.
As well as the wealth of information exchanged and shared on twitter etc, there are helpful guides and information available on meteorwatch.org so you can get the most out of your meteorwatch.
To get the ball rolling there is a hollywood style trailer for the event, purely as a bit of fun and for people of all walks of life to feel inspired and to go outside and look up. You don’t need a telescope or anything, just your eyes and a little bit of patience to see Geminids.
Good luck
Geminid Meteor Shower
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is this what we seen over mississippi latngisht?? it was a bright, blue flash of light and it sounded like thunder after. some reported it having an orange tint to it?? it was also seen in oklahoma and florida, as well as one or two more southern states. the boom sound was so loud in some of the areas around here that it rattled their windows and floors in their houses this is weird!! can you explain and do the things pose a signifacant risk to us????
Is it still visa me tonight as the sky’s have finally cleared
Sorry spell check..
Is it still viewable tonight as the sky’s have finally cleared over Liverpool?
Yes, but not many
Will I see them in Manchester,uk
Yes, through til dawn
I Am in Slough (Next to West London) and cant see anything yet, Will i be able to get to see it and when?
Anytime from now to dawn
Will I be able to see the meteor shower in Peterborough UK and at what time?
Yes anytime after dark through to dawn
Terri, the Perseids radiate from the coenlstlation Perseus, which is pretty far north on the celestial sphere. This coenlstlation may not rise above your horizon. So you might see some Perseids, but not as many as if you were farther north on the globe.There’s a second meteor shower going on at the same time as the Perseids the Delta Aquarid shower. It’s not as spectacular, but produces a good steady stream of meteors and is visible from the entire globe. If you go outside on those mornings (August 11-13 or so), you should see some meteors.Best,ES
So great
I’m at Glasgow, United Kingdom, will I be able to see it? What time will it peak?
Any time after dark tonight
I think I saw one. I wasn’t even aware there was a shower ocurncirg! I am 15 years old and am on my Easter holiday, so I decided to have a look through my telescope to find Saturn, when I saw a meteor. At first I thought it was a plane or helicopter, but It was a fairly steady light and lasted only about 2 seconds. I saw a couple more with the naked eye at around 23:10 as I packed up.
I managed to capture a few on camera last night which I’m pleased with but I also managed to capture the smoke plume associated with a meteor as it burns up. I’ve turned it into a very short video which is here if it is of interest http://youtu.be/B46kFjS8zgI
best regards and clear skies
Kev Lewis
Jesse, shooting star is aohtner name for meteor. They are the same thing.Maybe your dad was thinking about the various kinds of meteors. Some result from rocky objects in space striking Earth’s atmosphere. Some originate as dust. Some started out as man-made space debris in Earth orbit. These artifacts whether natural or made by humans can all cause a meteor or shooting star when they enter Earth’s atmosphere and vaporize due to friction with the air.The real stars never come close to Earth’s atmosphere. All real stars are many trillions of miles away.Have fun skywatching!- ES
I m living in Punjab,India .We can see it or not or at which time it will be a peak ?????
Yes you will see it the nih=ght of the 23/ 14 December
Jade,The Lyrids favor the northern hermephsie because the radiant point for this shower is so far north. But the Eta Aquarid meteor shower in early May is a great meteor shower for the southern hermephsie. What’s more, there will be no moon to spoil the show in 2011. The best observing time is during the dark hours before dawn on May 6 and 7. See our meteor shower guide at May your have clear skies!Bruce
Hi, I live in north yorkshire, uk, …..do you think I will be nice here? What time will be the peak here? thks
They will be visible there, late in the evening on Thursday and most of the week
I live on Earth. Will I be able to see it ? 🙂
Yes :)))
Can I see it in Brazil? I live in the south of the country, near of Uruguay.
Yes as long as you can see the constellation of Gemini from your location
Will the Geminid meteors be seen in the SouthWest of Asia? Saudi Arabia specifically?
Yes
Amazing news. I wish to know at which hour of night will it start, as you know, even when it’s Thursday in here, your timing is different. Will it really be continuous as a shower, or falling in bits every few mins? Or hour..? Can it be seen while in city?
Forgive my questions. I’m sincerely wondering cuz I never witnessed a “shower” of meteors before.
All the questions you ahve asked are answered in the guides in the site. Have a good look and hopefully you will get all the information you need 🙂
i’ve heard they will be on thursday and friday night aswell, which night should be the best? i live in northern UK
Thursday is the night of the peak but anytime from the 12th – 14th will be good
Did I miss it? Which skies will the showers be more visible? Northern Hemisphere? Southern Hemisphere? I live in Washington State. Will we have a clear view if we head for areas with no light pollution?
Yes You will get a good view