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Things are looking up for what promises to be the best meteor of 2023.
For those who hope to have a vision the top of the Geminid meteor shower Tonight, it looks like about half of the contiguous states (48) will have clear skies and stars – an excellent condition for viewing this best show of the year.
Check out our viewing map below, where we divide things into three categories: Good, Simple and Poor.
According to the “Good” section to watch, a large piece of high pressure centered over the Ohio River Valley, should bring good weather for most of the Midwest, towards east all the way to the Middle Atlantic Coast, including Pennsylvania, New. Jersey, the New York Metropolitan Area and most of Southern New England. There should also be clear skies over much of the Northern Territory and south through the Rockies from Montana to most of Utah. Clear skies should also be the rule for southern California, southern and eastern Nevada and much of Arizona.
Related: Night sky, December 2023: What you can see tonight (map)
Awesome view
Unfortunately, there will be areas that may be effectively closed from any view of the December fire, due to cloud and rain. “Poor” viewing conditions are seen in the Far West. A Pacific disturbance moving inland over northern California will spread a thick blanket of low clouds and scattered areas of light rain and showers across western Washington State. and Oregon, as well as parts of northern California.
Additionally, a storm over southern New Mexico will bring cloud cover to much of Texas, northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, west of Oklahoma, as well as most of Kansas and Nebraska. A number of “hydro meteors” (rain) are expected to fall over these areas, with snow accumulations possibly up to 4-inches for the higher elevations of New Mexico and Colorado.
Westerly winds blowing over Lake Huron and Ontario can bring a blanket of cloud over parts of Michigan, northern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, where snow can fall.
Finally, a frontal zone around the Gulf of Mexico in southern Florida is expected to bring more clouds to the Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula. South Florida will also experience scattered showers.
Elsewhere: “Wonderland”
Elsewhere across the country, weather conditions are classified as “fair.” For these regions, only partly cloudy skies are expected – or the night will become cloudy, but the trend will be towards clearing conditions after midnight. (or vice versa; a clear start to the night can increase the clouds). Check out our map again.
Plus!
Those who are in the regions of interest for viewing should be sure to pack, because the temperature of the night will be in the teens and 20s. One of the disadvantages is Geminid meteor shower they usually lay on their backs for long periods of time in the cold heat. Such a situation makes it difficult to watch one of the brightest, most reliable and fascinating events of the year. meteor shower.
To get the latest weather information, specific to your area, check the National Weather Service website.
Here, you will find links to National Weather Service Offices in the United States, as well as for Puerto Rico and American Samoa. Just find your region and click on the weather office near you; you will be able to get the latest view of the weather. (You can also see the Geminids almost this evening, via the Slooh Online Observatory webcast.)
Poverty in 2024. . . more in 2025
For those who will miss the Geminid shower this year due to bad weather, we usually say: “Wait until next year.” Unfortunately, we cannot say that. In 2024, a whole month it will happen on December 15, just one day after the peak of the shower. This means that the sky will be illuminated by moonlight all night, possibly hiding all but the brightest “Gems”. But it will be even better in 2025 when the Geminids coincide with a retrograde moon.
Joe Rao is a teacher and visiting teacher in New York Hayden Planetarium. He wrote about Astrology for Natural historyry magazineof the Farmer’s Almanac and other publications.
Editor’s note: If you take a great photo of the Geminid meteor shower that you’d like to share with Space.com and our news partners for an article or photo award, send photos and comments to spacephotos@space.com.