My geminid observation time was short — about1/2 hour from about 10:30-11:00. I only saw four meteors, pretty evenly spaced about 10 minutes apart. All four were slow, bright, and brief — peripheral sight only. The air was clear, but a few whispy high clouds indicated there was high moisture.

Tomorrow night the Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak — or more specifically in the wee morning hours of the Wednesday the 14th. In years past observers have reported 100-150 meteors per hour at the peak. Your best time to observe is usually around 2 am, but don’t have to stay up that late to catch the show. They will be visible by 10 pm or 11 pm. Moonrise is after 1 am, so the sky will be plenty dark, too.

You can read more about the Geminids at Sky & Telescope magazine’s web site.

Houston weather is forcasted clear tonight and tomorrow night, so I’ll be out observing for a while. It’ll be a little chilly, but all I really need is a jacket and a nice lawn chair that reclines wa-ay back.

Enjoy the show!