Two-fer: Brand New Meteor Shower May Coincide with Geminids 2012

There are plenty of meteor showers in the late fall—we’ve seen the Orionids in October, and the Taurids and Leonids in November. If you got outside at the right time, and the weather was nice, maybe you saw a few “shooting stars.”

Tonight, however, may be different.

That’s because we may be treated to not one, but two meteor showers at the same time, according to NASA.

In addition to the peak of the Geminid shower, there may be a brand new meteor shower debuting after sunset tonight, Dec. 13.

The new as-yet-to-be-named shower is courtesy of Comet Wirtanen, discovered in 1948, according to Bill Cooke from NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office.  

As for the source of the Geminids it’s somewhat of a mystery, Cooke explained on NASA’s website.

"The Geminids are my favorite," he said, "because they defy explanation."

Most meteor showers are the result of debris burning up in Earth’s atmosphere; debris from comets: rocky, icy bodies that orbit the sun in pronounced elliptical orbits.

But the debris that gives us the Geminids meteor shower – called 3200 Phaethon—isn’t a comet.

It could be a rock that broke of from a larger asteroid, Cooke said, and the meteor shower could be debris from the asteroid’s breakup.

Or it could be a "rock comet," a new kind of asteroid being discussed, according to NASA, with a rocky tail, like a comet.

There are some problems with that hypothesis, too, Cooke said.

But, if the Geminids coincide with a new meteor shower, and the National Weather Service’s forecast—clear, moonless, skies—is correct, the meteors’ origin probably won’t be on the forefront of most people’s minds.

The best places to watch in Mountain View? Big, open spaces. And what better than some of the colleges right in our own backyard: Canada College, College of San Mateo or Skyline College.

Tips for watching, from Earthsky.org:

1. Most important: a dark sky.

To watch meteors, you need a dark sky. In the South Bay, you might trying finding a clearing at any one of the local colleges: West Valley Community College, San Jose City College or Foothill-DeAnza College.

In Mountain View, head towards Amphitheatre Parkway and into Charleston Park with a blanket. Or perhaps drive down Crittenden Lane near the dog park for a probably even darker area. Near Mountain View High School or Cuesta Park options. (Remember to mind the park and school hours. Probably best to park and watch from atop of you car. Romantic, huh!)

2. Know your dates and times.

Best viewing of the Geminids will probably be from about 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. on Dec. 14.

3. What to bring.

You can comfortably watch meteors from many places, assuming you have a dark sky: your back yard or deck, the hood of your car, the side of a road. Consider a blanket or reclining lawn chair, a thermos with a hot drink, binoculars for gazing along the pathway of the Milky Way. Be sure to dress warmly enough.

4. Are the predictions reliable?

Although astronomers have tried to publish exact predictions in recent years, meteor showers remain notoriously unpredictable.

Your best bet is to go outside at the suggested time—and hope.

Don't miss a thing in Mountain View!

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