Geminids Meteor Shower

[BigWave]

For those interested in observing meteor showers, the Geminids (the Radiant will be in the Gemini constellation) is the best of the year. It's happening on the night of 14/15 Dec, with excellent (no clouds) viewing even from Melbourne (better at lower Lattitudes - closer to the Equator), with up to 2 meteors per minute.

Best viewed (in Melbourne) from around 12:30am on Sat 15th AEDT.
Moonset is at 1:18am, so if there is some cloud, you may have to wait for the moon to set. Radiant Direction: NNE, Elevation 14deg.
The Radiant will transit to the North at 3:15am AEDT (Elevation 19deg) - probably the best time for us Southerners.
Meteors will continue until Nautical Twilight (4:30am) Direction NNW, Elevation 17deg.

You guys further to the North should have a great show - cloud permitting.
A few years back (was mostly cloudy), I heard some sonic booms (quite faint), and saw explosion flashes behind clouds.

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/geminids.html

You can use the time-line slider at the bottom,and change location (i.e.: Perth) below the screen.

 

[Nanjim]

Bugger I will be back in Perth then to much light pollution.....
Might have to take a drive out bush.....

 

[Chiron52]

From around 12:30 AM? :N:
Bugger that. At my age I need my sleep. :zzz:
I'm gunna ring NASA right now and ask them to move the time up to ..... say ....9PM. :Y:

 

[BigWave]

Sorry, I've locked it in with NASA for after my afternoon nap.

 

[Chiron52]

Damn!

 

[BigWave]

It's on tonight.
Hopefully we'll get a few clear patches here in Melbourne.

 

[PabloP]

It's on tonight.
Hopefully we'll get a few clear patches here in Melbourne.

Good luck with seeing from Southern Vic. I will try and look, but also for that comet that is hanging up there.

Rob P

 

[Jaros]

If we look to the East at the "Saucepan" at 2000hrs we should see the meteorite shower in Brisbane.

 

[Chiron52]

From around 12:30 AM? :N:
Bugger that. At my age I need my sleep. :zzz:
I'm gunna ring NASA right now and ask them to move the time up to ..... say ....9PM. :Y:

So I contacted NASA and politely asked for a change in the viewing time.
They were extremely helpful ........ but they stuffed it up.
I wanted the time changed, not the trajectory.
Look what they did to my back yard .....

 

[XIV]

It is also the night of the Xmas comet, appropriately named for this time of year

 

[Tathradj]

Dammit,
We got a crap load of storms, Lightning etc coming down the coast. ]
Bloody Global Warming. :bomb:

 

[MegsyB007]

We just had a massive dump of rain, lightning, thunder in Melbourne that seems to have cleared the worst of the cloud cover now.
Was thinking we might get lucky to be able to view it later - until you said that... Hope they don't head further down here.
Really looking forward to seeing this!

 

[Flowerpot]

Thanks Bigwave, thats awesome. :Y: :Y:
Mr pot and myself are going up on a hill to have a look in the wee small hours,
hopefully the clouds have cleared enough here too. :cloudy:

 

[Rockhunter62]

It'll be a nice clear sky here in the WA outback tonight and the weekend. :Y:

Cheers

Doug

 

[isolation]

Well that was pretty awesome. Plenty of oooo's and ahhh's from the gallery of two

Heavy rain around midnight and beyond, went outside about 1.15 til about 2am. I'm guessing we saw about 40 shooters in that time .

Thanks to BigWave for posting this one up :Y:

 

[BigWave]

The weather was a shocker for us in Melbourne.
Not a one for me.
Glad some got to see them.
Then there's next year :|

 

[Flowerpot]

The cloud didnt clear enough for us to see them, but it was nice outside in the wee small hours. :Y:
Thanks too for putting the reminder up Bigwave. :Y:

 

[LONEWOLF]

Hopefully the Cloud will be gone for tonight.... Last night was a no go...

LW....

 

[Jaros]

Yep, there's a few nights to go yet. Don't think we'll see it up here with the cloud cover.

 

[MegsyB007]

Yes, disappointing not to see anything here. But WA got a spectacular show of a meteor! Wow! Anyone near York want to go on a search for a special rock?

https://www.9news.com.au/2018/12/15...id-meteor-3200-phaethon-star-space-stargazers