2014 Meteor Shower: 'Shooting Stars' And Bright Planet Jupiter To Be Visible During Geminid Meteor Shower Peak On December 13 And 14
The 2014 Geminid meteor shower is set to peak on Saturday and Sunday evening, Dec. 13 and 14, where over 50 meteors per hour could be observed on a dark and remote location. The upcoming "shooting stars" sky display will also be offering viewers with the planet Jupiter shining brightly.
A Sky & Telescope report claims there will be plenty of bright meteors visible because the moonlight will not thwart the viewing experience of the sky watchers. During the Geminid meteor shower peak, viewers could observe a "shooting star" every minute from around 10 p.m. local time until the crack of dawn.
The report further noted down that sky watchers can now start observing the Geminid meteor shower even though the sky display's peak is still a couple of days away as long as the skies are cloud-free and does not have bright lights hindering the viewing experience. The cameras in NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) All-Sky Fireball Network have already begun sweeping up the bright Geminids since Monday, Dec. 1.
According to a Post Bulletin report, the sky watchers will also experience a good view of the bright Jupiter planet aside from the Geminid meteor shower display during its peak. The very bright planet Jupiter is set to rise high enough for suitable viewing after approximately 11 p.m.
Jupiter, which is currently more than 450 million miles away, is expected to be the brightest object visible in the late dark night sky this coming weekend. The planet's cloud bands can be visible as well as up to four of its moons orbiting the big planet through a small telescope.
The report further suggested the observers to make sure that the telescope and eyepieces that they will use be positioned outside for half an hour before viewing the bright planet Jupiter. Setting up the telescope will allow the optics to adapt to the colder temperature outside. Lastly, the observers should note down that the higher Jupiter is in the sky, they will be able to see the planet clearer as it rises above the thicker layer of the planet Earth's atmosphere near the horizon.
