Geminid Meteor Shower
3767 Blue Ridge Pkwy
Asheville, NC 28804
USA
If skies permit, join us at the Tanbark Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway to observe the Geminid Meteor Shower.
The Geminids peaks the night of Wednesday, December 13th and into the early morning hours of Thursday the 14th, with estimates upward of 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.
The meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Gemini– hence their name.
The Geminids are associated with an object named 3200 Phaethon which is thought to be an asteroid or extinct comet with an orbital period of only 523 days.
With meteors travelling at a medium speed of 22 miles per second (about 80,000 mph!), the shower often produces bright meteors called bolides, or fireballs.
This year the Geminids will not be impacted by intense moonlight. With clear skies from a dark location, meteor hunters should find a good show.
Dress very warmly – while the Geminids are one of the most dependable showers of the year, they suffer from their date on the calendar, when temperatures are dipping. Meteor hunting doesn’t generate a lot of body warmth, so bundle up!
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(image courtesy of Sky and Telescope magazine)