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Close Topic OptionsBest Meteor Shower Of 2007 Peaks Dec. 13
Best Meteor Shower 2007 Peaks Dec 13 - Sciences, Education, Art, Writing, UFO - Posted: 11th Dec, 2007 - 10:53pm
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Best Meteor Shower Of 2007 Peaks Dec. 13
Those in Asia and Alaska need to report if they see it! This will definitely be an exciting day for those (like me) who love anything related to Space.
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| What could be the best meteor display of the year will reach its peak on the night of Dec.13-14. Here is what astronomers David Levy and Stephen Edberg have written of the annual Geminid Meteor Shower: "If you have not seen a mighty Geminid fireball arcing gracefully across an expanse of sky, then you have not seen a meteor." The Geminids get their name from the constellation of Gemini, the Twins, because the meteors appear to emanate from a spot in the sky near the bright star Castor in Gemini. Also in Gemini this month is the planet Mars, nearing a close approach to the Earth later this month, and shining brilliantly with yellow-orange hue. To be sure, Mars is certain to attract the attention of prospective Geminid watchers this upcoming week. Reliable shower The Geminid Meteors are usually the most satisfying of all the annual showers, even surpassing the famous Perseids of August. Studies of past find the "Gems" have a reputation for being rich both in slow, bright, graceful meteors and fireballs as well as faint meteors, with relatively fewer objects of medium brightness. They are of medium speed, encountering Earth at 22 miles per second (35 kps). They are bright and white, but unlike the Perseids, they leave few visible trails or streaks. They are four times denser than most other meteors, and have been observed to form jagged or divided paths. Geminids also stand apart from the other meteor showers in that they seem to have been spawned not by a comet, but by 3200 Phaethon, an Earth-crossing asteroid. Then again, the Geminids may be comet debris after all, for some astronomers consider Phaethon to really be the dead nucleus of a burned-out comet that somehow got trapped into an unusually tight orbit. Interestingly, on December 10, Phaethon will be passing about 11 million miles (18 million kilometers) from Earth, its closest approach since its discovery in 1983. The prospects for this year The Geminids perform excellently in any year, but British meteor astronomer, Alastair McBeath, has categorized 2007 as a "great year." Last year's display was hindered somewhat by the moon, two days past last quarter phase. But this year, the moon will be at new phase on Dec. 9. On the peak night, the moon will be a fat crescent, in the south-southwest at dusk and setting soon after 8 p.m. That means that the sky will be dark and moonless for the balance of the night, making for perfect viewing conditions for the shower.... |
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Dec Peaks Shower Meteor Best
I love meteor showers and have been looking forward to this one all year--well as soon as it was predicted anyhow. I will give a review because I will be looking for it! I do not personally like the darkness in the winter but it makes for fantastic skies when it is cold and clear!
TOPIC: Best Meteor Shower Of 2007 Peaks Dec. 13