No Geminids for us :(... The pre-dawn sky this morning should be the absolute peak of the annual Geminids meteor shower, and this year was supposed to be better than most – maybe better than ever. The haze is thick here right now, though. I can just barely make out a planet and a few bright stars, and (of course) the moon – all else is invisible. Only the very brightest of meteors would show through this muck, dang it.
Years ago we had a memorable Geminids viewing opportunity: on the western slopes of Mauna Kea, on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We drove up to about 8,000' altitude, well above any hint of haze or pollution. The air is so clean there that distant lights of Kona (the largest city on the west coast) had no discernible effect on our viewing. We saw a lot of meteors that early morning, just lying on our backs on a field of cinders...
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