Witnessing Geminids: Slower Meteor Shower Speed

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the observation of the Geminid meteor shower, particularly focusing on the perceived speed of the meteors compared to other meteor showers, such as the Perseids. Participants share their personal experiences and challenges related to viewing and photographing meteors, as well as the impact of environmental conditions like light pollution.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant observed that Geminids appeared to move more slowly across the sky compared to Perseids, noting a difference in their speeds of approximately 35 km/s for Geminids versus 58 km/s for Perseids.
  • Another participant expressed surprise at the information regarding the speed of different meteor showers.
  • There is a suggestion to capture images of the meteors, although one participant humorously noted the difficulty of doing so due to environmental factors.
  • Concerns about light pollution affecting meteor visibility were raised, with one participant sharing their experience of needing to travel to darker areas to observe celestial events properly.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the challenges of viewing meteors due to environmental conditions, but there is no consensus on the subjective experience of meteor speeds or the feasibility of photographing them.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying conditions such as light pollution and hazy skies that may affect their observations, but these factors are not quantified or analyzed in detail.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, amateur meteor observers, and individuals interested in the differences between meteor showers may find this discussion relevant.

Jonathan Scott
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Yesterday we had clear skies in the UK (but freezing temperatures) so I wrapped up warm and I went out into my back garden for a few minutes at about 9.45pm to look for Geminids, as I hadn't seen those before (I've mostly only seen Perseids before, plus odd sporadic meteors). The sky was quite hazy and I only saw about 7 before I decided to come in, but what I immediately noticed was that they appeared to move noticeably more slowly across the sky than Perseids, although not as slowly as half speed. Checking in Wikipedia afterwards I see that the speed of Geminids at around 35km/s is indeed slower than Perseids at around 58km/s. So now I've learned that there's a visible difference in the speed of meteors from different meteor showers.
 
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That's pretty cool, I never knew that. Thanks!
 
From my back garden, in a built-up area with hazy brown skies and a limited view, close to an airport, my chances of taking a picture of a meteor aren't much better than my chances of photographing a flying reindeer!
 
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Jonathan Scott said:
Yesterday we had clear skies in the UK (but freezing temperatures) so I wrapped up warm and I went out into my back garden for a few minutes at about 9.45pm to look for Geminids, as I hadn't seen those before (I've mostly only seen Perseids before, plus odd sporadic meteors). The sky was quite hazy and I only saw about 7 before I decided to come in,

awesome ... well done :)

Jonathan Scott said:
From my back garden, in a built-up area with hazy brown skies and a limited view, close to an airport, my chances of taking a picture of a meteor aren't much better than my chances of photographing a flying reindeer!

Yeah I know that feeling ... living within Sydney city suburbs, the light pollution is dreadful, I only get to see the brightest starts or meteors
I have to drive at least 30 - 45 minutes to get to a site that is dark enough to play with the telescope
Dave
 

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