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Geminid Meteor Shower 2013

The Geminid meteor shower 2013 is the grand finale of astronomical events this year and is the most reliable and prolific of the annual meteor showers.
This year there will be a bright Moon when the Geminids are at their peak on the evening of the 13th/ 14th of December, but most of the brighter meteors should be bright enough to be seen.

Numerous bright Geminid meteors

The Geminids are expected to yield in excess of 60 -100+ shooting stars per hour at peak for those with clear skies, (however this year fainter ones  may be drowned out by the Moon) the meteors it produces are usually bright with long persistent trains. If observing opportunities aren’t favorable or possible on the 13th/ 14th, meteor watchers can usually see high meteor activity a day or so either side of the peak. For more info please see How to observe Meteors
As well as being the grand finale of 2013, 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 – thought to be an asteroid not a comet.

Geminid Meteor Shower 2013 – Meteorwatch

To celebrate this highly enjoyable 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 a few 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 2013

Geminid Meteor Shower 2013

 

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