GEMINID METEOR WRONGS

Photos Of Meteors Are Sometimes Something Else

2014 December 12 & 15

The Geminid Meteor Shower is among the best of the year,
even better than the famous Perseids.

Unlike December Geminids, Perseids can occur during murky summer skies.
So, this shower is a prime target of sky watchers.

Indeed, ABC Evening News (Sunday, 2014 Dec. 14) reported the following . . .

Geminid Meteor Shower Streaks Across Night Sky Time. Time now for our Instant Index. What's trending on a Sunday night and a spectacular night for sky watching. People around the globe have been catching these images of what looks like shooting stars streaking across the sky. Those stars are bits of rock flying off of a dying comet that's orbiting the sun. A good reason to get out tonight and look at the heavens.

And they showed four photos of purported Geminid meteors.

Unfortunately the second and third photos were suspicious
appearing much like airplane trails!

In fact, one "meteor streak" also did not point away from the Geminid radiant point.

BELOW ARE FIVE PHOTOS OF 2014 DECEMBER "GEMINID METEORS"
They include four taken from Gainesville, Florida
plus one of ABC's four images (Photo B, top center).

However, not all are meteors!
Can you tell which of the five are true meteor trails?
(Clicking each image will bring up a larger version.)

Photo Notes Appear Below Picture

« CLICK EACH INDIVIDUAL PHOTO OR LETTER BELOW TO ENLARGE (In New Window) »
AND JUDGE WHICH ARE METEORS
( A • B • C • D • E )

PHOTO NOTES

Photo A: This streak (what is it?) narrowly misses the westernmost star in Orion's Belt or Mintaka (top star of belt in this image). Do you see the Hyades and Pleiades Star Clusters (top center of image)? [Time 2014 Dec. 12, 8:54:17 p.m. EST (Dec. 13, 01:54:17 UT)]
Note: This uniform streak suggest this is an airplane trail or satellite.

Photo B: This is the second photo shown on ABC's Evening News (photographer unknown). But is this stripe a meteor?
Note: Again this uniform streak plus flickering lights shows this is an airplane trail.

Photo C: Orion is just rising with the Hyades and Pleiades Star Clusters above. In the top left corner is a faint trial that seems to blossom near its upper end. An enlarged section is also shown. (But clicking image will make it still larger.) [Time 2014 Dec. 12, 8:44:56 p.m. EST (Dec. 13, 01:44:56 UT)]
Note: This is typical meteor trail showing a gradual brightning then dimming. Sometimes meteors will also flare as can be seen here.

Photo D: Bright Jupiter appears on the extreme right. The bright streak, in fact, becomes possibly even brighter than brilliant Jupiter (shining at magnitude -2.3). This trail passes through the right edge of Ursa Major (part of the "bear's leg") on the border of faint Leo Minor. Can you find Leo itself? [Time 2014 Dec. 15, 2:04:54 a.m. EST (07:04:54 UT)]
Note: Again see how this meteor trail brightens and then dims.

Can't identify objects in Photo D? Then see annotated version of Photo D (in new window)

Photo E: Jupiter also appears below and to right of trail in Photo E. [Time 2014 Dec. 15, 3:07:36 a.m. EST (08:07:36 UT)]
Note: And again this typical meteor trail brightens and dims even showing a slight flare at toward the end.

Photographic Info (A,C,D,E): Camera DSLR, EOS 5D II with Canon EF 20-35mm, f/3.5-4.5. Lens set at 20 mm. Exposures 30 sec at f/4.0 (ISO 1600). Images trimmed from original frames. Location: Southwest Gainesville, Florida USA