Moon, clouds hide last meteor shower of 2019
The Geminid meteor shower, known for its dependability and bright intense colors in past years, peaks tonight (Friday) into the next morning. Unfortunately viewing this last major meteor shower of the year will be difficult to impossible.
The nearly full moon Moon will hide all but the brightest meteors for everyone. Here in central North Carolina, rain overnight will spoil the show. Fog is also expected after 1 a.m., just as the constellation reaches the highest point in the sky, revealing the most meteors.
Most of the usual online options for meteor watching are taking the night off, due to the Moon conditions. The lone exception is the Virtual Telescope Project which plans and online viewing event beginning Friday at 11 p.m. Eastern from telescopes located in central Italy.
During 2019, more than half the major meteor showers peaked at less than ideal times with half or more of the Moon reflecting light into the sky, hiding all but the brightest meteors.
The Quadrantids, the next major meteor shower, has produced 100+ visible meteors per hour under ideal conditions when they peak the morning of Jan. 4. Unfortunately the Moon will be 58% full that night.
Meteor lovers should mark their calendars for the the peak of the Lyrids on the night of April 21, just hours before the new moon. Next year’s Geminids are also expected to have nearly perfect Moon conditions. The peak is also expected at the more family friendly hour of 9 p.m.
