Geminids
The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a "rock comet" orbit. This would make the Geminids, together with the Quadrantids, the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet. The meteors from this shower are slow moving, can be seen in December and usually peak around December 4–16, with the date of highest intensity being the morning of December 14. Recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 02:00 to 03:00 local time. Geminids were first observed in 1862, much more recently than other showers such as the Perseids (36 AD) and Leonids (902 AD).
| Geminids (GEM) | |
|---|---|
The Geminids meteor shower as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, in December 2013 | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdʒɛmənədz/ |
| Discovery date | 1862 |
| Parent body | 3200 Phaethon |
| Radiant | |
| Constellation | Gemini (near Castor) |
| Right ascension | 07h 28m |
| Declination | +32° |
| Properties | |
| Occurs during | 4 December – 17 December |
| Date of peak | 14 December |
| Velocity | 35 km/s |
| Zenithal hourly rate | 120 |
Based on data from the Parker Solar Probe, a 2023 study proposed that the Geminids may have been formed by the catastrophic breakup of a comet that formed asteroids 2005 UD and 1999 YC in addition to Phaethon.