Milky Way over Au Sable Point Lighthouse by Michigan Nut Photography
EarthSky says that the annual Geminid Meteor Shower that will peak next week is one of the year’s best:
The Geminids are a reliable shower for those who watch around 2 a.m. local time from a dark-sky location. We also often hear from those who see Geminid meteors in the late evening hours. This year, a waxing gibbous moon will be above the horizon during peak time for viewing. But it’ll set shortly afterwards, leaving the sky dark for watching meteors. Thus the best time to watch for Geminid meteors in 2021 is likely before dawn – say, from around 3 a.m. to dawn – on the morning of December 14.
It’s a somewhat narrow window for meteor-watching. But still worth a look!
On a dark night, near the peak of the shower, you can often catch 50 or more meteors per hour. On an optimum night for the Geminids, it’s possible to see 150 meteors per hour. A new moon on December 4 means that the peak of the shower coincides with a moon just a few days past first-quarter phase.
Click through for all the details but remember the key to success is finding dark skies!!
John took this back in May 2014 at the Au Sable Lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. See more in his Starry Nights gallery on Flickr & view and purchase prints & calendars on his website.

Beautiful. I heard there was a meteor Tuesday night in Ohio and people saw it in parts of neighboring states, including sightings here in Michigan.
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This was an incredible shot, and I think of it whenever I go out to the lighthouse. I doubt that shot can be duplicated now; there are lights all along the foundation of the building, and the beacon is no longer operating.
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I have one like that of the 2nd turret at Miners Castle before it fell. Here’s a photo that Lars Jensen took at Miners in 2006 along with an article about the turret falling into Lake Superior!!
PS: Thanks to you jogging my memory, I’m going to share my favorite pic of a vanished Michigan scene today!!
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