Clouds, 'supermoon' could dim Geminid meteor shower Tuesday

[WhiteTara]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/sciencefair/2016/12/12/geminid-meteor-shower-supermoon-clouds/95344432/

What's often one of the year's best meteor showers, the Geminids, will likely be dimmed by both cloudy skies and the bright light of yet another "supermoon" Tuesday night.

Thick clouds will make for poor viewing conditions across much of the U.S., but even where it's clear, it will still be hard to see meteors because of the supermoon, AccuWeather said.

A supermoon is a full moon that's slightly closer to Earth than usual. December's will be the third supermoon in the last three months of 2016, Space.com said. During a supermoon, the moon appears slightly bigger in the sky and is thus slightly brighter than usual, which washes out shooting stars.

"The Geminids are typically one of the best and most reliable of the annual meteor showers," NASA said in a statement. "It’s usually one of the best opportunities for kids who don't stay up late because it gets going around 9 or 10 p.m. local time."

In addition to the clouds and moon, frigid temperatures that are even cold for December could also deter some skywatchers.