Indianapolis – If you look up tonight and see glowing streaks jetting through, don’t worry. It’s just the Geminid meteor shower. Indiana is in for one great show.
Expect the sky to light up after dark over the next few nights with a flurry of activity as the Geminid meteor shower hits its peak. But don’t be alarmed. This is a chance to be awed.
This meteor shower is not to be associated with large meteorites that hit the earth, maybe hitting a car or home. These are generally sand-sized particles burning up in the atmosphere and it’s the glow streak in the sky that we see as a meteor,” said Brian Murphy, Director of Holcomb Observatory.
The brilliant display put on by the Geminids is considered one of the best of the year.
“Because it’s constant and occurs every year quite predictably, that is what makes this a good one. The weather should be nice and it’s not as chilly as last week,” said Murphy.
There’s no need to come to the observatory to view the meteor shower. In fact, you don’t even need your telescope or binoculars. For the best look all you need is your naked eye.
The best place to look is actually towards the constellation Gemini. You can see it off in the east and northeast,” said Murphy.
Brian says a good time to look up in the sky is from 9:00 pm – 3:00 am, with 1:00 am being the most action-packed. In Indianapolis expect about 30 to 60 an hour, but away from the city in a darker sky, up to 100 can be seen an hour.
Space.com – Geminid meteor shower
Weatherfriend.com – More notes on the Geminids
