Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
TONIGHT, (or, more officially, tomorrow morning of December 15th) on the night of the 14th will be the peak night to watch the Geminid’s meteor shower, which officially started on the 7th and lasts until the 17th of December. The moon’s phase will be about half full and will rise at 7:25pm– right as the meteor shower begins to peak– not the best for visibility, but the volume of this shower should provide great views, nonetheless
Maximum meteors: around 120 meteors per hour.
Velocity: 22 miles/sec (this is slow for meteorites, meaning a great chance of seeing “streamers”!
When: As usual: The best time to see ANY meteor shower is the hour or two before dawn. Try between midnight-2am for some great results without losing *too* much sleep! You may also be able to catch some of these beforehand as spectacular “Earth Grazers”, beginning at about midnight.
You can always keep an eye on the status of the clear skies by visiting this page over at ClearDarkSky: http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/LgnBchCAkey.html?1
Where: If you can, get as high up as possible to sit above the light and air pollution to get the best sights. I personally prefer Top Of The World in Laguna Beach.
Editor’s note: If you snap a great picture of the meteor shower– please send it in!
