For a December evening, you couldn’t ask for better stargazing weather. Cloudless, a slight chill, andthe biggest meteor shower of the year.
“The Geminid is pretty special,” Chad Jocius, Heide Observatory Program Director said.
Jocius says this particular meteor shower happens every year, but the conditions are making for prime meteor viewing. You could see up to two a minute.
“On a regular night, you’re going to see one to two, possibly,” Jocius said. “But the whole earth is traveling through the path of an asteroid. We should see upwards of 100 meteorites tonight.”
It’s why dozens of people came to Hawthorn Hollow in Kenosha. The observatory holds programming three nights a week but an event like this is even more special.
“So far, I’ve seen five,” Jocius said. “And I’ve only looked for like five minutes.”
It almost feels like fishing. Glancing up at the stars, your eyes adjust slowly. What was once pitch black, bright dots appear like magic.
Loosening up your focus and taking in the panorama-style view, it puts you in an almost meditative state.
Until, it happens.
“It’s very sudden,” Aaron Richardson of Kenosha said. “They come out of nowhere. It’s really awesome. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“It was amazing,” Chris Lopez from Illinois said. “It was beautiful. You could see the striations and a little bit of a tail. It’s really miraculous.”
Between the flashes in the sky, the observatory also has a telescope that can help see some more familiar sights.
Saturn’s rings. Orange swaths across Jupiter. Each more miraculous than the last, even when there aren’t meteors flying through.
“There’s definitely plenty to see outside,” Jocius said.
To best view stars and meteors, Jocius recommends giving yourself 15 minutes outside in the dark to let your eyes adjust. Don’t look at your smartphone or any flashlights. From there, to see meteors from Geminid, it’s easy.
“Just go outside and look up,” Jocius said. “You’re almost guaranteed to see one.”
If you’re interested in visiting Heide Observatory, you can visit their website.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
