This Weekend will be clear and quiet. Temperatures will only peak in the low 30s and drop into the teens at night.
With the weather quieting down for a few days, this gives us a nice chance to talk about some astronomical events coming up!
First and foremost, the Geminid meteor shower is peaking tonight and tomorrow night.
The Geminids are typically one of the best meteor shows of the entire year, many times producing dozens of shooting stars each hour!
This year, we have one major hurdle, the Moon. Unfortunately, the Moon will be nearing its full phase, rising in the late afternoon in the next couple of days.
Therefore, it will be shining brightly during the peak viewing hours for the Geminids. This will wash out or obscure about 75% of the typical meteors meaning you will likely only be able to spot between 5-15 per hour.
Your best chance will actually be in the predawn hours when the Moon is setting.
There will be very little cloud cover over the next few nights so no worries in that department. You will need to bundle up though as temperatures will be dropping into the teens and 20s each night.
Speaking of the Moon, it will officially be full of 4:02am on Sunday. In December, it is known as the full “cold” Moon, for obvious reasons.
It will rise in the east at 3:14pm on Saturday and 4:12 pm on Sunday.
Lastly, check out the Moon and Jupiter about an hour after sunset over the next couple of days.
They will be close together in the east-northeast.
Tonight, the Moon will be just above Jupiter and Saturday evening they will be side by side.
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