Geminids Meteor Shower Viewing Event: Telescopes & Dark Skies | Coyote Lake

Stargazers look directly up tonight around 1am to see a spectacular light show originating from the Comet 3200 Phaethon in the constellation Gemini (looking south, almost overhead,)

Coyote Lake- Harvey Bear Ranch County Park, near Gilroy , CA, will provide a prime spot for viewing the 2010 Geminid Meteor Shower.

Come to this guided viewing of the meteor shower with a park ranger in the early morning of December 14, 2010. There will be a brief lecture on tonight’s event and the ranger will have a few telescopes available for people to view through.

Why is the best viewing time for 2010 so late? Generally, the Geminids provide one of the best meteor shower shows of the year starting around 9 or 10 p.m. Unfortunately the moon this year does not set until after midnight, making it too bright to see earlier in the evening.

Peak activity for this shower will be occurring the night of December 13-14, 2010  around 2:00 a.m with approximately 50 meteors per hour. The chunks of rock from this defunct comet travel through space at 26 miles per second- that’s 93,600 miles per hour! - as they strike the earth’s atmosphere.

A park ranger will be stationed at the park’s paved Launch Ramp Parking Area, approximately two-miles from the entrance on Roop Road, from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. to greet visitors and answer any questions.

Cost: FREE (in the past there has been a $6 parking charge, but we’ve been told its been waved for tonight)

What to Bring & Wear: Visitors to this event should dress for cold weather.  Attire should include insulated long pants and shirt, a coat, and a hat to keep you warm.  Also be sure to bring some hot coffee and /or cocoa to enjoy while watching the show.  Other items to bring if you have them are a comfortable lawn or camp chair, binoculars, and a telescope.

Directions: Coyote Lake is located 7 miles east of Gilroy, CA.  From U.S. Highway 101 exit on Leavesley Road and head east two miles to New Avenue.  Turn left and proceed north one-mile to Roop Road.  Turn right and head east into the hills approximately 4.5 miles to Coyote Lake Road.  Be sure to take the turn left into the park at  the Coyote Lake Entrance.  Proceed north approximately two miles to the viewing area.

Please RSVP, if you can, to let the ranger know approximately how many people to expect.chris.crockett@prk.sccgov.org; Questions?  Call Ranger Crockett at 408-842-7800

Please note that we have listed this event as started at 11:59pm so that it will show up on our 12/13 calendar – the event actually begins around 1am.