Late Wednesday evening and until Friday you can see the Geminid meteor shower in the sky. – It is one of the nicest and most reliable of all annual swarms, if you are lucky with the weather and moon phase. So says the astronomer from Nordland, Jan-Erik Ovaldsen. He runs the astronomical handbook “Himmelalendaren”. – From a dark observation spot with good night vision, you can expect to see around 60 meteors per hour at most. So one per minute on average, says Ovaldsen. This can be observed throughout the country, if the weather cooperates. – Geminid meteors are bright, medium speed and come in all kinds of colours. This is what it looked like over Saltdal when the Geminids arrived last year. Photo: Silja Akselsen Not a comet In contrast to most other meteor showers, the origin of the Geminids is not a comet, but a strange, stony object of just over five kilometers in diameter, according to the astronomer. It has been named 3200 Phaethon, and is classified as an asteroid. – The researchers are not sure of the prehistory of 3200 Phaethon. But the object is seen as an “extinct” comet that has lost its ice and frozen gases after too many close and hot passes around the sun, says Ovaldsen. The Geminids and the Leonids The Geminids Geminid meteors are bright, medium speed and come in all sorts of colours. The origin of the Geminids is the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This is in contrast to other cometary swarms. The Geminids appeared for the first time in 1862. The name comes from the fact that the meteor shower seems to radiate from the constellation of the Twins (Gemini in Latin). The Leonids Leonid meteors are known to give rise to exceptional meteor storms every 33 years. Even though it has been over 20 years since the parent comet passed the inner parts of the solar system, the earth will still encounter comet dust along its path. The name comes from the fact that the meteor shower seems to radiate from the constellation of the Lion (Leo in Latin). Source: The Sky Calendar. – Based on data from the experts in the International Meteor Organization, the maximum activity this year is expected around 8pm on Thursday 14 December. He still recommended keeping a lookout for meteors from late in the evening on Wednesday 13 December until dawn on Thursday, and from around 19 and onwards throughout the evening and night until Friday. If it gets cloudy Even if the conditions are right to see the meteor shower on Thursday and Friday, the weather gods have other plans. – In order to see it, it must be clear. And it seems to be a rare commodity, write the meteorologists at X. Troms and Finnmark, Trøndelag and Agder seem to have the best possibilities. In several places, it looks like there will be milder clouds on the night of Thursday. Photo: Meteorologists Stay away from strong light sources But if you are in these counties, you don’t need binoculars or a telescope to see the meteor shower. You can see this with just the eye. If you want to see this, Ovaldsen recommends you find an area with a wide view of the sky. And which is located some distance away from strong light sources, so that the eye can adapt to the darkness. – A sleeping pad, sleeping bag/blanket, a thermos with coffee or hot cocoa are recommended additional equipment, in addition to really warm clothes, of course. A good dose of patience always comes in handy when it comes to meteor showers, he says. Unlike most other meteor showers, the origin of the Geminids is not a comet. Photo: STAN HONDA / AFP He adds that for those who are extra interested, you can also see Jupiter and Venus. They are extra bright at these times. – Both planets shine much brighter than even the brightest stars.
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In December you can see the Geminid meteor shower in the sky – news Nordland
