Since DU will be down anyway....

[Cassiopeia]

This weekend is a perfect chance to do some stargazing.

The Geminid meteor showers peak Sunday night, but Saturday and Monday nights should be excellent as well.

http://earthsky.org/space/everything-you-need-to-know-geminid-meteor-shower

This year should be a particularly good year to catch this shower as moonlight will not be interfering.

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[left on green only]

2. Personally, It Will Be A Great Time

....just to catch a shower anyway. I live in California and it has been a long time.

[SheilaT]

3. I just wish all of the meteor showers

didn't peak in the wee hours of the morning. Plus, it's chilly this time of year, even in Santa Fe.

Maybe someday I can have a place with a lovely glassed-in room, so I can watch meteor showers in comfort.

[Cassiopeia]

4. This shower starts earlier in the evening.

I've caught quite a few between 8 and 11 pm over the last few nights.

[dembotoz]

5. du down and the sky falling at the same time....coincidence???? i think not

[Waldorf]

6. Seems everytime we have a viewing of a meteor shower around here (DFW)

it seems to happen around 2-4 in the morning. I'm in bed hours before that.

[Cassiopeia]

10. You should be able to catch this shower early in the evening.

It should have a strong showing well before midnight.

[Skittles]

7. Cassiopeia

that reminds me of my brother's cat Cassiopeia, a long time ago.......he never could understand how she got up to the very high top shelf in his closet...until he pulled out a suit to wear to a funeral - it was in the back of that closet and the arm had obviously been used to assist Cassiopeia in her efforts to reach that shelf; it was absolutely SHREDDED

[irisblue]

16. LOL. cats do as they will

[Thor_MN]

8. As usual, forecast is for days of overcast...

[Cassiopeia]

19. That's our forcast for every Persied shower.

We're supposed to be partly cloudy for this shower, but I'm hoping that just means passing clouds throughout the night.

[dhill926]

9. thanks for this....

[cwydro]

11. I'm looking forward to it!

Thanks for the reminder.

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Kick

[lovemydog]

13. Cool.

[elleng]

14. Thanks for posting, Cass.

Partly cloudy forecast for today (Saturday,) 'CLOUDY' for Sunday, and afternoon 'light rain' for Monday 'at home,' and 'partly cloudy' today and Sunday in NJ where I'm visiting (and surrounded by trees.

CATCH some for us, please!

[jtuck004]

15. Nice. Thank you. n/t

[bigwillq]

17. Kick

[eppur_se_muova]

18. About time to start looking for Mercury ...

Mercury, lone evening planet, visible starting around mid-December. In early December, 2015, Mercury will be sitting too close to the sunset glare to be visible.

However, we expect people from both Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres to begin to see Mercury in the deepening dusk around the middle of this month. Late month will be best, with Mercury setting 80 to 90 minutes after the sun by the year’s end. Binoculars will help out with your Mercury quest.

Mercury reaches its greatest elongation from the sun December 28 or 29 (depending on your time zone). Mercury will be well placed for viewing for a few weeks, centered on this date. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, try star-hopping to Mercury from the Summer Triangle, as depicted on the above sky chart for late December.
***
http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury#mercury



Oh, and can't resist ... Cassiopeia high up in northern sky on December evenings

[niyad]

20. great viewing, except that it is snowing rather heavily here.