Geminids 2009
Tonight I've been watching the Geminid meteor shower preview: the peak isn't until about 5am GMT on Monday morning. Even so, tonight I've seen 5 Geminids and 1 sporadic in the hour or two that I sat on my balcony. Not bad for the middle of Manchester.
Meteor spotting is not difficult and is best done without a telescope or binoculars. All you need is a reclining chair, clear skies and patience. Actually, on a clear night at this time of year it gets quite cold up here in the north so I also made sure that I was wrapped up warm with extra socks, gloves, a scarf, a hot water bottle and a hat. Cups of tea are also welcome.
If it is cloudy where you are there are other ways to enjoy the Geminids. You can watch the growing image archive (created by @scibuff), follow the #MeteorWatch conversation or even listen to live radio echoes.
Orion in the early hours of 13th December 2009 as seen from my balcony. I didn't have a tripod and I was shivering so apologies for the shake. CREDIT: Stuart
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