[Note: This post is an updated 2020 version of the viewing guide I wrote for a previous Geminid shower.]
If you are looking for a way to see an amazing view while simultaneously disabling your butt, is there a meteor shower for you: Geminites!
This year (2020), the annual rainfall is December 13/14 evening, Sunday night / Monday morning is best. Generally, it is best to watch after midnight, but if the sky is completely dark on Sunday evening you should see some if you go outside. Meteor showers are hard to predict, but Geminits are generally a good provider, sometimes spotting a meteor in a minute. Happily, this year the moon did not go out (it is very close to the sun in the sky and very thin crescent), so its bright light does not wash out the view! If you have clear skies, this meteor shower In fact Look worth your time and effort.
It is very easy to see a shower; All you have to do is go out, look up, and so on Be patient. Shooting stars are somewhat random, so you should not see anything for a few minutes and then you will see three in a row. The longer you wait, the more you will see.
But there are some things you need to know. If you have a clear, open sky and follow the instructions below, there should be a celestial event to remember!
1) Time
Usually, meteors are best seen after local midnight (i.e., halfway from sunset to sunrise), when the earth is facing into an oncoming meteorite (as if heavy rain were hitting your front windshield as you drove through the storm). In this case, however, it should work at any time after about 10PM. The meteorite emerges from a point in the sky in the Gemini galaxy (see No. 2), which is then above the horizon. Then you better wait. Dec. There will not be much difference before and after a few hours at any time. So it is better to go out on Sunday night when it gets dark. You can go out the night before (i.e. tonight) or after, and still have a good view.
When you get outside, it takes about 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adapt to the darkness – your pupils lengthen, shed more light, and your eye produces a light-sensitive protein called rhodopsin. Both of these take time to fully kick. So, don’t be fooled if you see too little or no meteor right now. White light will whiten rhodopsin, so if you need a little light, use a fluorescent lamp with red cellophane. It will protect your night vision.
2) A wide open sky
This is very important. Meteors appear at random places in the sky and can move from horizon to horizon. The more sky you can see, the more meteors you will see. Try to avoid nearby buildings, trees and more.
If you find the path of the meteorite backward, they will appear to be radiating from a point in the sky located in the Gemini galaxy (hence the name rain). When you drive a car through a subway, the lights on the walls and ceiling appear in front of you. A good view of Gemini will increase the odds of seeing more meteors. If you can find Orion, Gemini is on its top left (for those in the Northern Hemisphere; this rainfall is almost non-existent in the Southern Hemisphere because Gemini is very low in the sky).
Either way, a great wide view is your best bet.
3) Dark sky
Meteors are generally not very bright. A few are burning, but most are as bright as your average star, so you want to stay away from the lights. Your backyard may be fine, but make sure the street lights are off and your home lights are off.
4) A lounge chair
You can see the sky a lot for minutes or hours, so you want to be comfortable. A size lounge or folding beach remodel is a big plus. You can lie on the floor with a blanket if you wish, but comfort is important if you are going to be out for a while. The floor will be cool and moist at night. It reminds me …
5) Blankets!
Hello, it’s December, it’s going to be cold. You will not move much, so you will not generate much heat. You will not see many meteors if your teeth are clenched (I imagine hypothermia does not help). Get ready!
6) Telescope, telescope
I recommend not using a telescope. Why not? Telescopes see only a small part of the sky, and meteors appear in random places. I guarantee the best meteor of the night will happen when you are bending over an eyelid, you will miss it.
Telescopes are the best. You can scan the sky, search for interesting things, and quickly look around if a bright meteorite appears.
7) Star chart
Hey, you’re out! Why not interact with the sky? You can find charts at local bookstores and online if you do a little search. Orion, Gemini, Taurus, Plato … this is the best time of the year to search for cosmic signs.
8) Rest
Oh boy, is this an important one? It’s after midnight, you’ve lying down, lurking in a blanket, it’s dark, and your eyes are focused on infinity. You start daydreaming … the next thing you know, the sun is rising, you are covered in ice.
Take a nap in the afternoon if you wish. I give you permission.
9) Friends, family, neighbors
Having others with you will help you stay awake and, honestly, the joy and beauty of a meteor shower will be better shared. One of my favorite times with my daughter was watching the Leonids meteor shower when she was little. She had a blast, not only because she had to get up with Dad at 3am … but again, that was a big part of it too.
10) A compliment you see
Read about meteor showers, what they are, and what we learned from them. Geminites are debris from the asteroid 3200 Python, which sometimes acts like a comet (every other rain comes from debris cut by comets). Asteroids have been orbiting the sun for billions of years, and you see small parts of them – no bigger than a grain of sand – traveling at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per second at speeds of hundreds of kilometers above you in our atmosphere. How cool is that? I think it’s fun to learn more about an event, especially one you attend.
Bonus) miracle
This is the best thing to bring, and easy. The meteor shower is simply amazing. It’s a cosmic show, it’s free, it’s so awesome.
Enjoy it!