Best Meteor Shower of 2009
If you missed the popular Perseid meteor shower this year, don’t fret. According to experts at NASA, the best meteor shower of 2009 is about to fall over North America. In the middle of December, it may be a cold night, but the possibility of viewing up to 140 meteors per hour could be worth it. So, dress warm, make some hot cocoa, and get ready for the light show.
The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak on Dec. 13th and 14th under ideal viewing conditions. A new Moon will keep skies dark for the display and maximum activity should occur around 12:10 a.m. EST on Dec. 14th. No telescope is necessary, just try to find a dark place with little light pollution and then start scanning the sky.
NASA says the “Geminids are pieces of debris from a strange object called 3200 Phaethon. Long thought to be an asteroid, Phaethon is now classified as an extinct comet. It is, basically, the rocky skeleton of a comet that lost its ice after too many close encounters with the sun. Earth runs into a stream of debris from 3200 Phaethon every year in mid-December, causing meteors to fly from the constellation Gemini.”
Astronomers believe the intensity is increasing every year, which means the show just keeps getting better. Mark your calendar now, and don’t miss out on the best meteor shower of the year!
