iradiophilly | News - Geminid Meteor Shower in Philadelphia Skies Tonight 12/13 12/14

Streaming Radio for Philadelphia
More Music. Fewer Interruptions. Just what you want to hear.

FOLLOW:

News
Talk about what's in the news


The Post

Geminid Meteor Shower in Philadelphia Skies Tonight 12/13 12/14

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 12/13/12 11:19 pm | updated: 12/13/12 11:19 pm

The Philadelphia skies are poised for another one of nature's light shows tonight. The annual Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak December 13th and 14th. The forecast for the entire Philadelphia region is for clear skies making for great viewing, although it's a chilly 39 degrees. So get your blankets and hot drinks ready. The best place to view the meteor show around Philadelphia would be any place away from the Center City lights and out in an open field to see the entire sky, but especially towards the east. see sky map below

August 12th 2015 -> Perseid Meteor Showers in Philadelphia Sky August 11-13 2015

Note for December 14th: You will still be able to see the Geminids tonight. The meteor rates will be lower than last night, but you will still be able to catch a few. Clear skies and sliver of a moon will make for perfect viewing conditions.

The Geminids are an annual meteor shower that occur as the Earth passes through the debris of asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Most of the other annual meteor showers are created as we pass through the icy debris tails of comets. Phaethon is a so called "rock comet" that leaves a dusty trail as it gets heated on its trip around the sun.

There is a chance that the Earth will simultaneously go through the tail of comet Wirtanen, creating the Piscids shower and adding to the meteor count.

The Geminids are so named because the appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini but you can see them fly anywhere in the sky. Look to the east northeast at Midnight to find Gemini next to Orion. (see sky map below) The Piscids radiate from the constellation Pisces.

Viewers can expect to see up to 160 meteors per hour at the peak between 2 and 3 a.m., but head out anytime between midnight and sunrise to try and catch a view of a 'shooting star.' There have already been early reports of meteors spotted in Philly by 10 pm.

As you watch, you may want to listen to one of iradiophilly's 19 stations such as:

Symphony for Classical and Contemporary Favorites!

or Mistletoe for Continuous Christmas Favorites!

In case you don't want to venture outside tonight, you can watch the NASA LIVE Feed. The camera is mounted at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Join the chat room at 11 pm at http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/geminids2012.html

Live video from your Android device on Ustream

TOP STORIES

(1) response

-------------------------------------------------------

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA | responded: 12/13 11:19 pm

Skymap Geminids

Welcome to iradiophilly! Philadelphia's Internet Radio Community

Welcome! Start listening now for FREE! The music is always on, so choose a radio station and click to listen. You can find fun Events around Philly and you can list yours on our Events page FREE. We will also promote cool Philly shows, events and fundraisers on the air FREE. There are also great opportunities to become a sponsor or advertise. iRadioPhilly supports the Philadelphia music and arts scene. If you are a local musician or performer, send us your stuff. We will play it on our BYO radio station, Philadelphia's Local Stage. We're designing the radio stations and iradiophilly to reflect Philadelphia's music tastes, so we'll want your input. We're glad you're here. Invite your friends.

FOLLOW:

Site Design by Bananaland | Built by quadpain media