Try This At Home: Shooting Stars (Dec 13 - 14)

by Bethany Stephens

Throughout my life, my Dad was fascinated with the night sky.

Astronomy magazine was often found on the living room side table, and he had all sorts of stellar telescopes and photography equipment.

In 1986 when I was nine years old and we lived in Jamaica, his telescope was set up to view Haley's Comet. We were joined by my octogenarian grandmother and great aunt, and it stood out profoundly to me when he told me that I was the only one out of the four of us who might be living on its next anticipated viewing in 2061, when I will be in my 80s.

In the 1990s when we were living in the Pacific Northwest, my sister and I might expect at any given time depending on the performances in the night sky to be dragged on a deep forest hiking trip in the Cascade mountains for meteor viewing... laying on the ground with no tent (for optimal viewing) and our sleeping bags cinched up tightly around our faces with only our eyes and noses exposed.

And in 2017, there was great pomp and circumstance around a big family excursion to see the eclipse (you can get a glimpse into his general enthusiasm and telescopes here).

So what does that have to do with real estate? Two things.

Home Matters. I spent any number of nights - as a kid and as an adult - sitting on various roofs of various houses after slipping out second story windows to see the night sky. I remember doing it with my Dad and him teaching me the constellations and then buying planispheres (star wheels) to teach my own daughters. Those are the things that create core memories, and it's often tied to the physical place where we experienced those things.

Traditions Matter. They are fewer and farther between these days than ever before, but traditions and habits and things we do on repeat for our kids (or ourselves) bring us a sense of calm and predictability - especially at chaotic times. It isn't lost on me that two of the most prolific meteor showers happen every year in August (the Perseids, around back to school chaos) and December (the Geminids, in the midst of the holiday season). They're an anchor and an excuse to slow down, hit pause, look up and wonder. My Dad made it routine to wake us for "exciting" astrological events, which consistently seem to occur around 2 in the morning. We moaned and groaned... and I passed the torture right on to my girls.

So I want to pass along the nudge to you to become a lover and enthusiast of the night sky. It's a thing you can truly try at home and tie to home... and there's a pretty good chance it will create a free, lifelong lasting core memory. And it will be ok to miss an hour of sleep. It will be worth it.

This year's Geminids meteor shower - which typically lasts throughout the first part of December - will peak on December 13 and 14th. It's one of the brightest shows of the year, and at peak (around 2 a.m.) there could be up to 120 shooting stars per hour visible.

Go outside for the Geminid meteor showers on December 13 - 14!

Set an alarm (you can see them after 10 p.m. but it's more fun and more impactful between midnight and 2 a.m.)
Bundle up (set things out early so you don't have to think or rummage in the wee hours)
Go outside and let your eyes adjust for 20 minutes (don't take a flashlight or phone, but do take a toasty beverage or blankets to lie on).
Find the darkest spot possible without house and streetlights. Look up (best viewing toward the NE) and marvel.

I've shared a few links below to help you out.

Meteor Shower Calendar 2025 - 2026
More about the Geminids Meteor Shower
This is cool: the New York Times offers an astronomy calendar you can subscribe to so that rocket launches, meteor showers and eclipses will be on your radar. Learn more here and subscribe here.

If you go out stargazing, I'd love to see some pictures of you, your crew, the prep or the aftermath! Send them my way via text (479-936-0253) or on Instagram. It would make my day and be a great tribute to my Dad... so go be like Bill.

(And if you are already an enthusiastic stargazer or find yourself cultivating one thanks to this, I just might have a little holiday gift guide for you coming soon.) 🌙 💫

*The Milky Way visible over Beaver Lake, July 2024*

Bethany Stephens

Advisor | License ID: SA00096366

+1(479) 936-0253

Try This At Home: Shooting Stars (Dec 13 - 14)

by Bethany Stephens

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