When the Geminid meteor shower comes every December, it is undoubtedly the best annual meteor shower on the calendar because of its renowned dazzling, colorful fireballs, which can reach speeds of up to 150 per hour.
The timing might be better for a lot of people in Oregon.
Since there is consistent cloud cover for the majority of the month, December has historically been a difficult month for stargazers in western Oregon. Even though it has been sunnier than usual this year, a wetter stretch of weather is on the horizon as rain is predicted to return to the area on Wednesday.
The best periods to see the meteor shower, which is active from December 2 to December 21, are on Thursday and Friday, just before the Geminids reach their height.
The timing could be improved once more.
The Geminid meteor shower is the only significant meteor shower that produces intense activity prior to midnight, according to Jim Todd, director of space science education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The meteors’ originating constellation, Gemini, is visible above the horizon starting at 10 p.m.
However, Todd pointed out that a nearly full moon that will rise in the afternoon and be up all night might make this year’s show difficult because it would provide a brilliant source of light that could blot out the streaking meteors.
That might be referred to as poor timing.
However, the Geminids this year might not be a complete failure.
By facing a direction with the moon behind you, you can still see a lot of bright meteors if your skies are clean and transparent, Todd added. This should still be a good show because Geminids are so intelligent.
However, your skies are transparent and clear. The whole eastern part of Oregon is expected to see generally cloudy skies, while western Oregon is expected to see rain on Thursday and Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s definitely not for this if the stars are aligning.
Stargazing
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When meteor showers will dazzle night skies this fall
–Jamie Hale co-hosts the Peak Northwest podcast and writes about travel and the outdoors. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-294-4077, or HaleJamesB.
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