December 4, 2011 - Stupendous Shower
Welcome to the Nature Notebook.

A streak of light flashes across the predawn sky, passing through the face of Taurus, the bull. This bright meteor is a forerunner of the 900-lb. gorilla of annual meteor showers, the Geminids. During the next few days, the number of Geminid meteors increases as Earth moves into a stream of space-borne debris. The Geminids reach a peak of over 80 meteors per hour on the night of December 13-14. The best viewing time is between midnight and sunrise on the 14th. Meteors appear to radiate from a point just east of south as the constellation Gemini appears to spit out bright flashes across the night sky. If you miss the peak, you can still catch meteors for four or five days after the 14th. The Geminids are intensifying every year. If the weather cooperates they could offer a spectacular show.

This is PPL's naturalist, Jon Beam, with the Nature Notebook for WVIA.