Is there a meteor shower tonight? The news said yes, what is the direction?

CCTV Beijing, November 17 (Reporter Wang Kai) According to the Voice of China's "Global Chinese Broadcasting Network", the king of meteor showers will come to Earth this evening, and there will be two "maximum" meteor showers.

According to astronomical experts, the parent comet of the Leonid meteor shower is the comet "Temple Tuttle", which orbits the sun once every 33 years to replenish a large number of fragments, particles and dust for the Leonid meteor group. Observations in recent years have shown that particularly bright fire meteors are common in the Leonid meteor shower, which have a long trail in the night sky and are very beautiful.

In 2001, the Leonid meteor shower brought a torrential downpour to mankind, and the whole sky was like a goddess scattering flowers and a golden snake dancing wildly. According to relevant forecasts, two "extremes" are expected this year, respectively at 18:00 Beijing time on the 17th and 0:00 on the 18th. The shower's radiant is located at the head of the constellation Leo, which does not rise until midnight in mid-November, and the Leonid meteor shower will not be visible until the second half of the night, so this year's maximum time is not suitable for observation, and the moon phase is close to the full moon, which will have a serious impact on observation.

Meteor showers are not as expected by work, they are a rare celestial phenomenon, with hundreds of meteor swarms active every year, and meteor showers every day. But conversely, the vast majority of meteor showers have no observational value.

The most popular meteor shower tonight is the Leonid meteor shower, a meteor shower with a very large annual variation in flow. The outbreak in 2001 may still be remembered by many people, but unfortunately, this year's traffic is not worth paying attention to.

The highest peak is only about 20, which is not much more than the occasional meteor, and the extremely sharp peak and the interference of the full moon make his observation very poor. If you are in the city and can see a meteor overnight, it is recommended to buy a lottery ticket the next day, and winning a small prize will not be a problem.

If you must see it, it is recommended to look up to the east in the second half of the night, maybe the probability of seeing a meteor will be greater, but I personally think the significance is not too great. After all, for a good meteor shower, it is not difficult to brush hundreds of meteors in the suburbs, so why bother the lions in 2013.

Because it wasn't very suitable for observation, I didn't mention it to my friends. But as the owner recommends the Geminid meteor shower on December 14, even if you watch the city for a few hours, it is not a luxury to see double-digit meteors. Because it is a twin, with a large flow and a long peak, it can be seen all night, and even if the moon phase is unfavorable, it is still worth paying attention to.

According to the International Astronomical Organization**, this year's Geminid meteor shower will reach its maximum around 8 p.m. Beijing time on Sunday, December 14, with a forecast of around 120 meteors per hour (ZHR). Theoretically, from 3 a.m. on the 14th to 1 a.m. on the 15th, it can be regarded as the maximum period of the Geminid meteor shower.

The introduction shows that the radiant of the Geminid meteor shower is located near North River II (Alpha Gemini), next to the head of the one on the right of the twins.

Warm. Winter nights can be unusually cold, so no matter what you plan to observe, be sure to be well prepared. Thick scarves (to cover the face and nose), hats (to cover the top of the head and ears), gloves, thermal underwear, and cold jackets are all indispensable.

It's best to have a thermos kettle and bring some hot water. Something like a baby warmer is also very useful at this time.

Place. It's best to go out of town, as light pollution in the city can drastically reduce the number of meteors you can see. If you stay in the city, you will probably see no more than 10 meteors per hour.

Of course, given the harsh winters and other factors, the best way is to find a farmhouse in the suburbs and observe it directly from the farmhouse's yard.

Posture. The best position to observe a meteor shower is to lie flat and look up at the sky. Although Geminid meteors are all emitted from radiants in the constellation Gemini, the direction in which each meteor appears in the sky is random.

Therefore, you don't care about whether Gemini is **, you just need to stare at a celestial area, and patience will inevitably be rewarded.

The Geminid meteor shower 1314 in December came to Earth, this year's reliable big meteor shower, where to see the direction of the meteor shower's location. Geminid meteor shower.

December meteor shower name: Geminids

Matrix: 3200 phaethon (planet).

Radiant point: Gemini

Expected date of appearance: 13th-14th.

Description: The most stable and colorful meteor showers of the year, with about 65% white and 26% yellow, and the rest blue, red and green. The Geminid meteor shower is the only meteor shower that is not the parent body of the comet, and its parent body is the asteroid 3200 phaethon.

The flow rate can be hundreds of pieces per hour at peak times.

A meteor shower is not like a solar eclipse, it can be seen halfway around the world when it comes. It can be seen in almost all parts of our country. There is no need for equipment such as telescopes, and you can watch meteor showers with the naked eye, so that the angle of view is larger.

Moonlight will reduce the observation effect of meteor showers. But the most affected by moonlight is photographic observations, and if a longer ** time is used, some fainter meteors will be submerged in the background skylight. The impact of visual observation is relatively small.

And during this Geminid meteor shower, the sky is as people wish, and it is the New Year of the lunar calendar, so there is no need to worry about the influence of moonlight.

The radiant Gemini rises in the east around 20 o'clock. So if the weather is good, I suggest you choose a place in the suburbs where there is no light pollution. When the day of great duty comes, after dark at night, with close lovers, wait patiently for some time, I believe there will be a harvest, good luck!

Remember to keep warm

Outdoors can be done from the evening of the 13th to the early morning of the 14th.