Heads Up: Earth Passes Through a Stream of Debris from Rock Comet 3200 Phaethon-Gemind Meteor Shower

Every year in early December, Earth passes through a stream of debris from “Rock Comet“ 3200 Phaethon. This causes a meteor shower that sometimes lasts more than twoo weeks. Geminid meteor shower is one of the best of the year. This year’s Geminid meteor shower will peak on Dec. 13th and 14th with as many as 120 meteors per hour. You’ll see some meteors before and after the peak days too. Geminid meteoroids fly out of the constellation Gemini. They hit the top of Earth’s atmosphere traveling about 35 km/s or 78 thousand mph. The source of the Geminid meteor shower, 3200 Phaethon, looks a lot like an asteroid. Indeed, it comes from the asteroid belt and its colors resemble the colors of other asteroids in the rocky zone between Mars and Jupiter. Yet 3200 Phaethon has an unusual orbit that brings it deep inside the orbit of Mercury. When this happens, it brightens and sprouts a little tail in mimicry of a comet. The debris stream of 3200 Phaethon is broad and massive. So the shower is fairly active from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16. Of all the debris streams Earth passes through every year, the Geminids’ is by far the most massive. The meteors that streak across the sky are some of the fastest and brightest among meteor showers because the Earth is hitting a stream of particles almost head on. If possible, get far away from city lights (which can hinder the show). The best time to watch this shower will be between the hours of midnight and dawn - regardless of your time zone. Images credit: NASA/JPL Music credit: YouTube Audio Library