The weather cooperated very nicely for last December’s excellent Geminids meteor shower peak!  Shane Finnigan, Raymond Dubois, Aero the dog and myself packed all our gear and off we went to Shane’s cottage in Otter Lake, Quebec!  It was nice that for once, the weather cooperated to see my favourite annual meteor shower without having to drive thousands of miles!

This was a VERY cold night, with a predicted overnight low of -30C (-22F).  We were very well equipped with all the parkas, winter sleeping bags and chemical hand warmers that we needed to survive a whole night of meteor observing and photography.  It definitely takes careful planning with these kind of temperatures, but thankfully the night was calm, and we also had a canopy of trees surrounding us to shield us from the wind.  It was cold enough to hear the trees and branches emitting crackles and “pops” from contraction.

Early evening, I proceeded to setup my equatorial mount (for guided photos) and then cameras.  As always, I had anti-dew strips running to keep the lenses dry and also transfer just enough heat to the camera bodies and even to the external remote triggers to prevent them from freezing completely!  All of this was powered with my 1200w/hr LiFePO4 battery pack (itself in an insulated cooler with heat packs).

During setups, we saw several nice Geminids coming out of the east without even really trying!  It was obvious that the activity was high even though the radiant was still quite low.  Raymond was the first to be setup to watch, and from his constant “ooohs, another good one!!”, I could tell that there was a good show overhead!

My hands and fingers tend to get cold fast, so I used fleece gloves and then very thick down filled mitts.  These mitts don’t allow much dexterity once I have them on, but they are very warm!  They are also spacious enough that I could fit hand warmers and my micro-tape recorder.  The fleece gloves are thin enough that I can feel the buttons on the device to record my voice memos on and off, all while keeping my hands warm.  On top of that, both arms were well under my -40C rated sleeping bag.  The talking clock was in one of the large pockets of my parka — I’d just hit that park of my parka.  For my feet, two pairs of thick wool socks over a thinsulate, plus feet warmers.  Finally, body warmers in two of my pockets.  All in all, very comfy and no issues sitting out there for several hours in this kind of cold.

I signed on at 10:15pm and observed until 6:15am.  I did not try to do a marathon however, I did take a number of breaks to check on the cameras, and go inside the warm cottage for a break or a snack.  The effective observing time in my chair was actually over 6.5 hours.  In that span of time, the Geminids were terrific!!  I saw a total of 503 meteors (including 430 Geminids, 12 Monocerotids, 8 Hydrids, 6 Coma Berenicids, 3 anthelions, 2 December Leo Minorids and 42 sporadics).  The observed Geminids hourly rates were 67, 92, 77, 77, 53 and 46.  The final half hour of the night in rising moonlight and twilight produced 18 Geminids.  I was very pleased by those rates, and I suspect we missed a number of meteors that occurred below the tree line.

As usual, the Geminids had moments of quick activity followed by quieter spells.  Overall, it was active enough that I never felt there was much of a lull the entire night, although it seemed like the shower was starting to wind down towards the end.  At one point after midnight, there was a single minute with as many as 11 meteors!  They just kept coming and coming!!

Many bright, colourful meteors were seen but the mag -5 and -6 fireballs seen late at night were GORGEOUS!!  The -5 Geminid was vivid BLUE, and had a 30 degrees long path that left a 12 sec train.  I thought that was going to be the highlight until I saw the -6 at 4:26am!  That one was blue-white, went 30 degrees low in the sky just above the cottage and, swelled up intensely, about 1/2 the diameter of the Moon!

All in all, a really fantastic night with the company of Shane and Raymond!  It was very much well worth the effort, even though I froze a finger at the end while removing my camera.  I just never seem to get tired of viewing this prolific shower 🙂  A real treat also, to be able to sleep in the warm cottage at the end (thanks Shane!).

Photo results below:

This is a composite image of the Geminids meteor shower taken with my Canon 6D and a Rokinon 14mm lens at f2.8. I took hundreds of exposures over the night, all while tracking these stars. Then I picked all the shots with meteors in them and digitally added them together into Photoshop to create this image… a near “all night” capture of 74 Geminids. This is a really wide view, covering most of the entire sky. The Milky Way is visible across several constellations… including Orion, Taurus and Perseus. All the meteors seem to radiate from a point in Gemini, an effect due to perspective. Those tiny meteors near the radiant point are ones seen coming nearly “head on” to the camera:
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-3B3hBPW/A

This ia another composite of the Geminids taken with my Canon 6D and a Rokinon 14mm lens at f2.8. Late at night, with Gemini crossing the zenith, and meteors seen “falling” straight down in every direction. This image contains 49 Geminids, digitally stacked in Photoshop.  What is that down on the ground?! Alien? Christmas Tree? No, it’s Shane who just happened to stand out there with his camera, taking pictures and using a dim light. That was completely unplanned and I didn’t Shane was going to be in the picture like that.  It turns out that I liked the result:
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-r8BHkBF/A

This ia another composite image of the Geminids taken with my Canon 6D and a Rokinon 14mm lens at f2.8. This was towards the end of the night. Some bright long meteors were captured heading down to the east. The Big Dipper is visible on the top left, oriented vertically:
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-Hf2kHks/A

One of the fireballs seen late at night!  This one was greenish and it lit up a part of the sky. This is a single image only (not a composite).  Canon 5D, Rokinon 24mm f.1.4 lens (set at f2.0):
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-gT7Vf9Z/A

Another digital composite, this time taken with a Canon 5D, Rokinon 24mm f.1.4 lens (set at f2.0):
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-snfNS3S/A

This image is a combination of 22 unguided time exposures (each lasting 45 seconds). Unguided means untracked (i.e. camera set on a fixed tripod). Because of Earth’s rotation, the objects in the sky move continuously from east to west. The resulting 20 minutes worth of unguided photos created long streaks of stars. This effect makes star colours more obvious. Seven meteors were captured too! On the upper left side, the tiny white dot is a geo-synchronous satellite.  Canon 5D, Rokinon 24mm f.1.4 lens (set at f2.0:
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-qWwdn6m/A

Long Geminid meteor meets a flaring artificial satellite. In reality, both were likely very far from each other… just an interesting line of sight! Taken on the morning of December 14 2017.  Canon 6D, Rokinon 14mm f.2.8 lens:
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-JS7J8mt/A

Short time lapse video of a Geminid fireball and its persistent train (looks like a brownish expanding “puff” left by the meteor). To see it better, go to the settings below and make sure that HD is selected!  The real time is 4.5 minutes (the meteor lasted about 1 second, and the glowing train lingered for much longer).  Canon 5D, Rokinon 24mm f.1.4 lens (set at f2.0)
https://pmartin.smugmug.com/Astronomy/20171213-14-Geminids-Otter-Lake/i-VF63JVq

Visual results below:

December 13/14 2017, 03:15-11:15 UT (22:15-06:15 EST)
Location: Otter Lake, Quebec, Canada
(Long: -76 deg 23’ 53″; Lat: 45 deg 49’ 45″)

Observed showers:
Anthelion (ANT) – 06:00 (090) +23
Monocerotids (MON) – 06:40 (100) +08
November Orionids (NOO) – 06:52 (103) +15
Geminids (GEM) – 07:20 (110) +33
sigma Hydrids (HYD) – 08:28 (127) +02 (not until second hour)
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) – 10:00 (150) +34 (not until fourth hour)
psi Ursa Majorids (PSU) – 11:44 (176) +42 (not until fourth hour)
December alpha Draconids (DAD) – 13:36 (204) +58 (not until fourth hour)
Coma Berenicids (COM) – 11:30 (173) +20 (not until fourth hour)
December sigma Virginids (DSV) – 13:12 (198) +07 (not until fifth hour)

03:15-04:16 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.65; facing S60 deg; teff 1.01 hr; -19C
GEM: sixty-seven: -3; -1(2); 0(5); +1(12); +2(8); +3(15); +4(18); +5(6)
ANT: one: +1
MON: one: +3
Sporadics: seven: 0(2); +2(2); +3; +4; +5
Total meteors: Seventy-six

04:16-05:17 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.70; facing S60 deg; teff 1.00 hr; -21C
GEM: ninety-two: -3(2); -2(2); -1(2); 0(8); +1(13); +2(24); +3(21); +4(12); +5(8)
HYD: three: +2(3)
MON: two: +2; +3
Sporadics: five: -1; +1(2); +2; +3
Total meteors: One-hundred-two

5:17-06:20 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.70; facing S60 deg; teff 1.05 hr; -24C
GEM: seventy-seven: -2; -1; 0(3); +1(11); +2(28); +3(15); +4(13); +5(5)
MON: five: +2(2); +3(2); +4
ANT: two: +3; +4
HYD: two: -2; +4
Sporadics: seven: +1; +3(2); +4(3); +5
Total meteors: Ninety-three

7:40-08:43 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.70; facing S60 deg; teff 1.00 hr; -26C
GEM: seventy-seven: -5; -3; -2(3); -1(5); 0(8); +1(13); +2(16); +3(13); +4(9); +5(8)
MON: three: +1; +4; +5
COM: three: +4(3)
DLM: one: +3
Sporadics: six: +3; +4; +5(4)
Total meteors: Ninety

8:43-09:43 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.70; facing S60 deg; teff 1.00 hr; -29C
GEM: fifty-three: -6; -3; -2(2); -1(3); 0(4); +1(11); +2(13); +3(10); +4(7); +5(1)
HYD: two: +1; +2
COM: two: +3; +4
MON: one: +5
DLM: one: +2
Sporadics: six: 0; +3(3); +4; +5
Total meteors: Sixty-five

9:43-10:44 UT; clear; 4/5 trans; F 1.17; LM 6.50; facing S60 deg; teff 1.01 hr; -30C
GEM: forty-six: -2; -1(2); 0(3); +1(6); +2(4); +3(13); +4(13); +5(4)
HYD: one: +3
COM: one: +3
Sporadics: seven: +2; +3(4); +4; +5
Total meteors: Fifty-five

10:44-11:15 UT; clear; 4/5 trans (morning twilight); F 1.17; LM 6.16; facing S60 deg; teff 0.51 hr; -30C
GEM: Eighteen: -4; -1; 0(3); +1(3); +2; +3(6); +4; +5(2)
Sporadics: four: +3; +4(2); +5
Total meteors: Twenty-two

============================================================
SHORT PERIODS (number of meteors, in 5 or 10 minutes TEFF periods)

03:15-03:25 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.167; GEM: nine; ANT: one; SPO: two
03:25-03:25 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.167; GEM: ten; MON: one
03:35-03:46 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.175; GEM: fifteen; SPO: two
03:46-03:56 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.167; GEM: ten; SPO: two
03:56-04:06 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.167; GEM: thirteen
04:06-04:16 UT; FOV RA 054 dec +18; F 1.17; LM 6.65; teff 0.167; GEM: ten; SPO: one
04:16-04:26 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: ten; HYD: one
04:26-04:36 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: sixteen; HYD: one; SPO: two
04:36-04:43 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.117; GEM: twelve; SPO: one
** BREAK 04:43-04:44 **
04:44-04:54 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: thirteen; MON: two; SPO: one
04:54-05:04 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: fifteen
05:04-05:09 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.083; GEM: eleven; HYD: one
05:09-05:14 UT; FOV RA 067 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.083; GEM: eleven; SPO: one
05:14-05:24 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: twelve; SPO: one
05:24-05:34 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: eleven; MON: two; SPO: two
05:34-05:44 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: twenty; MON: one
05:44-05:54 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: nine; HYD: two
05:54-06:04 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: eleven; SPO: one
06:04-06:14 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: ten; ANT: two; MON: one; SPO: two
06:14-06:20 UT; FOV RA 082 dec +17; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.100; GEM: eight; MON: one; SPO: one
** BREAK 06:20-07:40 **
07:40-07:50 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: ten
07:50-08:00 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: eleven; MON: one; SPO: one
08:00-08:10 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: thirteen
08:10-08:20 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: sixteen; COM: three; MON: one; SPO: two
08:20-08:30 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: sixteen; MON: one; SPO: two
08:30-08:35 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.083; GEM: five; DLM: one; SPO: one
** BREAK 08:35-08:38 **
08:38-08:48 UT; FOV RA 116 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: nine
08:48-08:58 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: thirteen; MON: one
08:58-09:08 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: eight; HYD: one; SPO: two
09:08-09:18 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: twelve; SPO: one
09:18-09:28 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: nine; SPO: one
09:28-09:38 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: four; COM: one; SPO: two
09:38-09:48 UT; FOV RA 131 dec +12; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: five; COM: one; DLM: one; HYD: one
09:48-09:58 UT; FOV RA 146 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: eleven; HYD: one
09:58-10:08 UT; FOV RA 146 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: nine; SPO: one
10:08-10:18 UT; FOV RA 146 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: seven; SPO: two
10:18-10:29 UT; FOV RA 146 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.175; GEM: six; SPO: three
10:29-10:39 UT; FOV RA 146 dec +13; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: seven; COM: one; SPO: one
10:39-10:49 UT; FOV RA 162 dec +14; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: nine
10:49-10:59 UT; FOV RA 162 dec +14; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: seven; SPO: one
10:59-11:09 UT; FOV RA 162 dec +14; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.167; GEM: six; SPO: three
11:09-11:15 UT; FOV RA 162 dec +14; F 1.17; LM 6.70; teff 0.100; GEM: one

Clear skies,

Pierre Martin
Ottawa, Ontario