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[Jason Goldstein]

Is alpha ridge going to be open next saturday night for the meteor shower?

[David Stein]

There isn't a public event scheduled for next Saturday night.  If it is a clear night there might be an impromptu event, which would be announced on the HAL impromptu mailing list.  (Impromptu events are only open to HAL members).

Clear skies,

David

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David Stein

HAL Events Coordinator

[Richard Taibi]

Hi,

I'd like to share some information about the Geminid meteor shower that might help raise its 'impromptu' value.

The Geminid shower often has higher hourly meteor rates on their peak night, than do the August Perseid shower, and this coming Saturday night is the predicted hourly rate peak.  

What might be of equally great appeal on a cold December night, is that the shower's radiant, where in the sky the meteors come from (the northeast), rises at 7 p.m.  So, it is possible to begin seeing Geminids well before midnight!  By 10 p.m., the radiant is high enough to show some early signs of how strong the shower will be at 2 a.m. Sunday morning when its full rate will be the greatest of the overnight period.

Some words of caution however.  Seeing a great number of Geminid meteors depends upon how dark and cloudless the sky is.  Even partly cloudy skies greatly reduce the full show.  And even Alpha Ridge Park is not a very dark site, although better than most of our backyards.  Another buzz-kill for the maximum night is that a 25-% lit moon will rise about 2 a.m. and will be a sky-brightening factor.

How to sum up all of this information?  If an impromptu star party is offered, HAL members who are prepared for a low meteor rate might enjoy seeing the brighter Geminids that appear between 8 and 11 p.m. Saturday night.

The brightest Geminids are as bright as Jupiter or Venus and are colorful, if you are lucky enough to see one!  And, early evening Geminids can span the sky!

(For more information, see:

https://www.amsmeteors.org/2025/12/viewing-the-geminid-meteor-shower-in-2025/ 

Richard Taibi 

HAL  Secretary and American Meteor Society Historian

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