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A METEOR SHOWER will be visible from Ireland tonight and tomorrow, lighting up the skies with up to 20 times more shooting stars than normal.
The ‘Geminids’, as it is known, is “the best meteor shower of the year”, according to Astronomy Ireland, who are organising a nationwide meteor count.
The meteor shower lasts for about 2 weeks but it’s expected to peak tonight and tomorrow.
“With the Full Moon in the sky the fainter meteors will be drowned out but this, the best meteor shower of the year, is known for producing many bright fireballs!” said David Moore, editor of Astronomy Ireland Magazine.
Astronomy Ireland has asked the public to “contribute to the sum total of human scientific knowledge” by counting how many meteors they see.
“Start on the hour, or any 15 minute interval, and simple record how many you see every 15 minutes,” the organisation said.
Then go to Astronomy Ireland’s website astronomy.ie and report your results.
“It is only because of members of the public monitoring this shower that we know that the Geminids in December is the best of the year” said David Moore, founder of Astronomy Ireland.
“In past decades the Perseid Meteor Shower in August was the best but this has declined somewhat in recent years to leave the Geminids reigning supreme. This is also good news for the public because that August shower cannot be well seen until 11pm but the Geminids begins as soon as it gets dark, around 5pm and runs until dawn.” he said.
The Geminids are caused by tiny pieces of space debris, bits of dust that fell off a small extinct comet or asteroid called Phaethon that goes around the Sun every one and a half years.
The best viewing of the shower will be from a dark location after midnight but Astronomy Ireland said it’s worth looking up from 6pm tonight.
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Fantastic. Looking forward to it. Weather is fresh and dry too which is perfectly normal for winter time.
@Marvin Dollery: Thank you for explaining that fresh and dry weather is normal for winter. If you hadn’t, how would we have known?
@Marvin Dollery: Tell me this Frank,what department do you work at in The Journal ?
@HisMastersAlibi: I think you meant to address that to Brenda. I wouldn’t work for such a lefty organisation.
@Marvin Dollery: For somebody who does not like this ‘lefty organisation” you certainly appear to spend your days visiting this site and giving it click after click after click.
You are a troll Marvin. Only a troll would behave as you do.
Do you have the back bone to admit to being a troll? I doubt you do. Your type are weak.
Go on Marvin, admit to it or are you too weak minded to do you? Do you lack the back bone little troll boy?
@Marvin Dollery: nah Frank,you are a plant,along with all the other names you comment under. It’s becoming clear you are part of the journal and its commitment in keeping a flow in the comments section for clicks. That’s what the journal needs as it sure is losing money. Ye should of sold it when ye had the opportunity. Who ever came up with this idea needs to be fired.
If you’re in Kerry, drive down to the Dark Sky Reserve in Ballinskelligs. It’s quite far out, but absolutely worth it on a clear night! I was incredibly impressed at how well my Pixel 8 Pro was able to capture the sky with the Astrophotography feature.
@Daniel Skelton: Anywhere from Caherdaniel to Waterville on a clear night is a pilots view of the universe. Absolutely astonishing!
Clouds are being bussed in from overseas right now…
What direction?
@Nick Bowie: Up, I think…
@Mike Finnegan: very good…
@Nick Bowie: “The Geminids will appear to originate from a point in the south east.” (quote from astronomy Ireland.)
(They’re named after the gemini constellation, from which they appear to originate.)
Will look up, but is the meteor shower going to be above or below the clouds? Existential question
Unfortunately it’s cloudy where I am. But a few years ago (2018? 19?) I counted 27 in about 20 minutes. It was fantastic. And bloody cold!
have your say