Forum Discussion

profdant139's avatar
profdant139
Explorer II
Dec 11, 2014

Geminid meteors Fri and Sat -- head for the boonies!

It looks like it will be cloudy and rainy in California, so I am out of luck -- but the predictions for this meteor shower look very good, so it's time for some cold weather boondocking! The experts say that although the moon will be up for most of the night, there should be some bright meteors in the early part of the evening, just after dark until moonrise. Most meteor showers do not produce those early evening shows, but the Geminids do, for some reason.

Bundle up!
  • I saw eight meteors in 20 minutes at 1 am light-polluted, hazy Orange County, with a big fat moon in the sky -- I can only imagine what that meteor shower looked liked in a good location! Next year, there is no moon for the Geminids on DEc. 13 -- it's time to start planning a camping trip for next winter. Someplace warm, dark, and clear . . . .
  • We were caught on the Bradshaw trail Friday and got a little rain and completely
    socked in by low clouds at the 2500ft elevation.
    fri nite at camp the cloud went away,got a little cold about 38,Anyway right after dark saw the biggest meteor I have ever seen.
    one of the guys around the fire said look,its a comet.It didn't have a tail,but
    it looked like flames or
    gas was coming out in front of it.It looked like a ball inside a v.
  • Nope, Ken, we are not heading back to Utah right now -- the weather is bad, and too many family obligations for the holiday season. Sigh.
  • profdant139 wrote:
    It looks like it will be cloudy and rainy in California, so I am out of luck

    So it's not back out to Utah again??
  • Here is an article giving viewing instructions:

    Universe Today

    So far as I know Saturday will be the best viewing with a continuation Sunday.