Monday, December 10, 2012
The most reliable meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on this 2012.
The Geminid meteor shower 2012, the final major meteor shower of every year and likely to be the best, peaks overnight Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, and you may be able to see a great show on either side of those dates. If you liked the Perseids meteor shower 2012 in August, you should love this show. NASA reports that the Geminids are a relatively young meteor shower, with the first sightings occurring in the 1830s with rates of about 20 per hour. Over the decades the rates have increased, regularly spawning between 80 and 120 per hour at its peak on a clear evening. How spectacular is it? Just take a look at this video of the Geminid meteor shower. You can also look at some spectacular photos of the Geminids. Earthsky.org reports the Geminids …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
The Leonid meteor shower will peak on Nov. 17 and Nov. 20.
Keep your eyes on the sky during the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 17-20, because that's when the famous Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak. These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion and can vary in color. "Many Leonids are also bright. Usually, the meteors are white or bluish-white, but in recent years some observers reported yellow-pink and copper-colored ones," according to Astronomy.com. Get a glimpse of the Leonid Meteor Shower at the Margreth Riemer Resevoir Here's one of the 10 coolest things to know about the Leonids, from Space.com: "Leonids are spawned by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years, it …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Shooting stars will be flying early in the morning in Palatine. The Orionids meteor shower promises to be a show worth watching.
The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show in the skies of Palatine. Earth will through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning Oct. 15, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a bit later. In Palatine, try and catch a glimpse of the meteor shower in the darkest areas of town. Margreth Riemer Reservoir, located near the intersection of Palatine and Quentin roads, is often a great place to see the stars. The shower should be at its peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be…
Melanie Santostefano
8:34 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Ken, If you look east toward the Gemini constellation, you should have a good view of the meteor shower. Sorry for the late response Ken, busy day out in the field. Melanie more ›