Last Minute Astronomer - December Episode

I’m Rob Webb, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare. Joining me today is my son, Soccorso.   13th – 14th – Geminid Meteor Shower –  The Geminids are usually a good shower, with up to 100 meteors per hour.  That means that, even though this is not a great year for them (Full Moon will brighten the sky and reduce how many meteors we’ll see), hanging outside for 20-30 minutes should still bring you some good sights. When? Really, any time of the night is good. After midnight is always best… Where do I look? The whole sky, but note Gemini is where the radiant is - where the meteors will appear to be coming from. Gemini will be in the East after sunset, South after midnight, West in the morning. But be well prepared… Dedicate at least 20-30 minutes to being outside and not looking at your phone - this allows your eyes to get dark adapted and reduces the risk of you missing one because you’re going in-and-out. Stay dark-adapted by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.   Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or hammock. Dress warmly. LAYERS!!! Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear. Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.   You never know when a nice meteor will burn up, so take a nice look at the sky in general, noting that the meteors will appear to go from the radiant and outward.    We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].