The Peru Gazette

By Donald McBrayer

If you happen to be outside during the evening next week, look up. The Geminid Meteor Shower will be streaking overhead. The Geminids (named so because they seem to originate from the constellation Gemini) are usually an active shower displaying up to 100 meteors an hour. This year they will peak on the Sunday the 13th and Monday the 14th.

Unlike other meteor showers that can’t be viewed until the wee morning hours, the Geminids are best viewed in the early evening (9 to 11 PM). There will no moon during those dates meaning a darker sky and the promise of even more visible meteors. Geminids are medium-speed meteors with the brighter ones displaying colors of yellow, green, and blue.   

For best viewing you will need only two things: A clear dark sky, and a set of eyeballs. Around 9:00 P.M. You will want to look toward the South East (toward the direction somewhere between Lake Champlain and Keesville) Find the unmistakable constellation Orion. A little left of Orion are two bright stars, one over the other. These are the twins, or the main stars in Gemini (Castor on top, Pollex on the bottom). The Geminids will seem to be coming from these stars. At this point, make sure your dressed warm, out of artificial lighting, and comfortable. Then sit back and enjoy the show.

Meteor showers occur when the Earth travels through the dust trails left by passing comets. As the dust enter Earths atmosphere, it burns up leaving streaks of lighted beauty for our enjoyment – how thoughtful. The Geminids are remnants of an extinct comet cryptically named “3200 Phaethon”.

Viewing the Geminds is a great experience for the entire family, so be sure to include your kids. (Just don’t make the mistake I did a few years back by telling the little ones, Santa’s sleigh has a hole and those are Christmas presents burning up in the atmosphere.)