2009 Geminid Meteor Shower to reappear December 7

Dec. 3, 2009 - PRLog -- Stargazers unite! One of the most impressive and dazzling spectacles of the night sky is quickly approaching! On December 7th through the 17th, be ready for the appearance of the annual Geminid Meteor Shower! This year, the peak of the shower is predicted to occur on the night of the 13th, so don’t miss the chance to educate the children in your life about such an incredible phenomenon.

First observed in 1862 by R.P. Greg in Manchester, England, the Geminid meteor shower can be seen anywhere in the night sky. Astrologers suspect that the meteor showers grow more intense every year with recent showers producing up to 120-150 meteors per hour! To make the spectacle even more impressive, the meteor shower is one of the few that appears in colorful hues of green, blue, and yellow! Although in past years, the meteor shower has coincided with a full moon, the 2009 Geminid meteor shower will take place two days before the full moon making for optimal viewing!

This year use the Geminid meteor shower to educate your children about the scientific world that surrounds us! Sylvan Dell’s title Pieces of Another World provides the perfect amount of scientific facts with an enthralling plot that will fuel a child’s fascination with the galaxy and all its wonders! Written by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Salima Alikhan, this book will provide the perfect grounding for enhancing a young child’s appreciation of the Geminid meteor shower! Check out the book’s homepage at http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com/Pieces.php.

Want to make the most of this year’s showers but need some tips? Here are a few guidelines for making the 2009 Geminid meteor shower a success for children of all ages!
•   Dress warmly! Being outside in the middle of the night, not to mention in the middle of December, won’t offer much warmth!  Especially since you will be inactive for the most part. So be sure to dress in layers and even bring a blanket or sleeping bag for extra heat!
•   Find a dark site! City lights and polluted areas greatly obstruct your ability to see the meteors! Find a dark, safe site as far away from the city as possible for the best viewing!
•   Take pictures! You will need a tripod and a camera that can take long exposures. This might be a little difficult but the sights you will capture will be worth it!
For more tips and information on the Geminid Meteor Shower visit http://www.universetoday.com/2009/11/25/tips-for-viewing-....

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About Sylvan Dell Publishing
Sylvan Dell Publishing in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is on a mission to excite children’s imaginations with artistically spectacular science, math, and nature themed stories. Founded in November of 2004, Sylvan Dell’s family has grown to include more than 64 authors and illustrators, in the U.S. and Canada, and 45 titles – honored as finalists or winners of more than 70 book awards. Since June of 2009, they have awarded over 3400 site licenses to schools nationwide. They recently released their next generation eBooks, featuring auto-flip, auto-read, and switchable English and Spanish text and audio. For more information about this innovative, award-winning publisher,
visit http://www.sylvandellpublishing.com.