Event

The Geminds shower should be the best this year, boasting 120 per hour from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.  The moon is ideal for this shower at a waning crescent and will not interfere with our viewing.

This location is particularly dark and has an excellent view of the Northeast, too.
This will be posted on the club calendar.  Public may attend, but it's primarily for our club members' enjoyment.

There's a large area to view this on a small apron south of the U shaped road.  It's all paved.  An alternate location is in the larger oyster shell parking lot in the western section of the fairgrounds.

Date: Wednesday, December 13 - Thursday, December 14, 2023

Time: 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Eastern

Location: Heritage Park & Fairgrounds
21311 Courthouse Hwy
Windsor, VA 23487

Information for Visitors
Instructions for the Public:
The Geminds shower should be the best this year, boasting 120 per hour from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.  The moon is ideal for this shower at a waning crescent and will not interfere with our viewing.

This location is particularly dark and has an excellent view of the Northeast, too.
This will be posted on the club calendar.  Public may attend, but it's primarily for our club members' enjoyment.

There's a large area to view this on a small apron south of the U shaped road.  It's all paved.  An alternate location is in the larger oyster shell parking lot in the western section of the fairgrounds.

Location Details

Heritage Park & Fairgrounds

Heritage Park & Joel C. Bradshaw Fairgrounds

Event Report

Comments and anecdotes about the event:
As this was announced on local TV station NBC, we expected many non astronomers from the public to show up. However, only 10 of the public showed up. The freezing temperatures had much to do with the low turnout. The shower was glorious! I would estimate at least 150 per hour. The best I have ever seen. Some of each minute had as many as 10 meteors. Several very bright meteors were noted. One Bolide was seen at around 2:37 AM.

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