Geminid Meteor Showers Alarm Uninitiated

[zavvy]

<b>Geminid Meteor Showers Alarm Uninitiated</b><br /><br />LINK<br /><br />Bright flashes in the sky had residents in the Washington region calling 911 Saturday night for what was actually the annual Geminid Meteor Shower.<br /><br />The shower is created as Earth moves through a cloud of dust trailing the asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, according to the NASA Web site. Scientists said it amounts to the best astronomy show of the year with meteors shooting across the sky in all directions. <br /><br />"It actually happens every year," said Brian Guyer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "This year it's particularly strong." <br /><br />But local residents were a bit alarmed by the astronomical event. <br /><br />"We're getting some calls that people are reporting seeing some burning objects in the sky," said Pete Piringer, spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. "Unless they have an emergency of some sort or feel threatened, we'd prefer that they didn't call 911." <br /><br />The meteor shower is expected to peak on Monday, Dec. 13, and the best time to look is around midnight, Guyer said. The streaks of light all trace back to the Gemini constellation which is high overhead at midnight and this year is positioned next to Saturn. <br /><br />The show in the sky is expected to last several days and is visible around the world, according to NASA. The meteors are visible as soon as the sun goes down with a bright meteor visible about every 15 minutes. <br /><br />One thing about the Geminids that has puzzled scientists for years is that meteor showers usually come from comets, which are made of ice, dust and rock. But asteroids like 3200 Phaethon are usually rocky and don't have a meteor trail. It's still a mystery for NASA why this asteroid produces one of the best meteor showers visible from the planet. <br /><br />

 

[mooware]

Tonight, Monday<br />

 

[zavvy]

I saw two...<br /><br /><i>(it was too cold to stay out long..)</i>