Meteor Shower !

Did you notice anything unusual about the sky last night  ?  There were a lot of meteors or " shooting stars " as they are commonly called and they are quite harmless because they burn up before they reach the ground.

This is what is known as the Geminid meteor shower and it shows up every year with regular reliability.  It is a natural phenomenon caused when  planet Earth's orbit crossers the trail left by big asteroid 3200 Paethon.   This takes it close to the sun and as the rocky mass heats to about 700 degrees tiny fragments come loose and burn as they come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere.

It happens from about midnight, but the best viewing time is between 1 am and 4 am.   The darker the sky the better the view, but this is also the time of the full moon and the light glow from a city the size of Sydney tends to diminish the images.  Viewers also needs to allow their eyes to adjust and avoid looking at things like their phone while that is happening.

The main requirement to view this astral spectacle - is patience  !   A lot of people spend just ten minutes outside and complain that they " didn't see anything ".  That disappointment is because they did not let their eyes have the time to adjust after coming out from the bright lights within their house.  It is also useful to record the show by using a time lapse camera with the lens fully open for a reasonable length of time.

As the Earth's orbit passes through the trail we are treated to a heavenly display.   Hundreds of bright meteorites travelling at a speed of about thirty kilometres per second flash across the sky and as they encounter out atmosphere this friction turn them incandescent and most burn up long before they reach the ground.   It is probably the most impressive light show of the year.

You may wonder why you are being reminded of this now it is over ?   The reason is because it is not over.  Mother Nature has booked a double billing.   That meteor shower will be again showing in the night sky tonight.

Perhaps a good reason to set the alarm as a reminder to watch nature's celestial fireworks display where you don't even have to buy a ticket.