Peterson, Iowa — Ever see a shooting star? More than likely, what you actually saw was a meteor. During a meteor shower, many meteors enter the atmosphere. Charlene Elyea, the naturalist and assistant director of the Prairie Heritage Center says that the last meteor shower of the year, the Geminids, is on display now. She says the night sky event is a favorite meteor shower viewing opportunity for a variety of reasons. This shower is one of the most reliable of the year, seen as the earth passes through the remnants of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. She says they’re holding a viewing event at the Prairie Heritage Center this Tuesday, December 13 beginning at 7:00 p.m.
She says darkness sets in early; and although the likelihood of seeing meteors increases throughout the night and peaks at around 2:00 a.m., an evening walk may be the best time to catch a view of an earth grazer meteor. An earth grazer is a slow-moving, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky.
For more information, she says you can contact the Prairie Heritage Center at 712-295-7200. She says there’s one more event to help them celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Prairie Heritage Center this year, and that’s a Signs of the Season hike on Tuesday, December 20th.
