As Candice mentioned this morning on the blog, the Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, and the forecast couldn't be any better for stargazers. But if we're lucky, we might see even more activity in the night skies over the Stateline.
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| Copyright © 1997 by Akimasa Nakamura |
That extra activity could possibly come from the comet Wirtanen, better known to scientists as 46P/Wirtanen. This would be the first time debris from the comet would pass into Earth's atmosphere, so we're not sure yet if we'll see anything, but some people estimate it could produce an extra thirty meteors an hour around the same area as the constellation Pisces.
Even if we miss out on Wirtanen, the Geminids should more than make up for it. Look for activity to pick up later this evening, after 10pm. Even though the peak is tonight, you should still be able to see meteor activity through Sunday.
I also know that it's December and it's cold outside, so if you want to watch this amazing light show from your computer, we have you covered. NASA will be streaming live and taking questions starting at 10pm tonight. Here's the
link.
Happy stargazing! -BA
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