By Chris Rose
BYU students should bundle up and get away from the city lights if they plan to enjoy the Geminids meteor shower this Thursday night and Friday morning.
The Geminid meteor shower occurs every year in mid-December for as long as people have been keeping records, said Patrick Wiggins, NASA solar systems ambassador to Utah.
In past years, observers have seen more than 100 meteors an hour, according to information from Wiggins.
Observers may see meteors leading up to the peak hours of the shower, but the best time will be Thursday nightand earlyFriday morning, Wiggins said.
The Geminid meteors are slow moving meteors - most other showers produce fast-moving, white-hot meteors -- but Geminid meteors are known as slow, colorful and graceful meteors, Wiggins said in a news release.
Many people refer to these meteors as 'shooting stars' or 'falling stars,' but this is not truly what they are. Meteors are small particles that are seen when they burn up entering the earth''s atmosphere, Wiggins said.
'They certainly look like stars but stars are much larger, he said. 'I sure hope there is no such thing as a real shooting star. Most of the meteors are about the size of a grain of sand. A star would fry us if it were to go shooting across the sky.'
Heat caused by friction against the atmosphere causes the particles to glow and that is what observers are seeing, he said.
The best way to view the meteor shower is to get away from city lights.
'Light pollution is the killer of meteor showers,' Wiggins said. 'The main two factors are humans and the moon. Luckily, this year the moon will get out of the way at about midnight, which will make the meteors easier to see.'
Some meteors may be visible despite the city lights, but for the best conditions, one should find a spot away from any light pollution.
Telescopes and binoculars are not recommended when trying to observe a meteor shower; all they do is block the view of the sky, Wiggins said.
'The best piece of observation equipment for this meteor shower is a lawn chair and a sleeping bag,' he said. 'Just sit back and enjoy nature''s show.'
More observation tips can be found on Wiggins'' Web site: utahastro.info.