Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog

Monday, December 13th.  The sun will rise at 8:10.  It’ll be up for 8 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 5:02.   The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 1:19 tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow morning will see the peak of the Geminid meteor shower.  This is one of the most active showers of the year.  Some say it’s even more active than the Perseid meteor shower of August with up to 100 meteors or shooting stars visible an hour.  They will seem to come from near the star Castor in the constellation Gemini which is rising high towards midnight.  The moon will interfere until it sets at 1:19 a.m.  After that until dawn is the best time to view them.  All you’ll need then is clear skies.  If it does clear up, make sure you dress warmly.  It will take up to 10 minutes or even more for your eyes to get accustomed to the darkness to be able to see the meteors.  This is Michigan, you never know when it will clear up.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.