What is the Geminids meteor shower?
- December 16, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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What is the Geminids meteor shower?
Subject: Science and Technology
Context:
- This year, the Geminids peaked around December 13-14.
About Geminids meteor shower:
- The meteor shower is coined ‘Geminid’ because according to NASA, the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini.
- The Geminids first began appearing in the mid-1800s.
- The Geminids meteor shower peaks during mid-December each year,
Features:
- They are considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.
- They are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in colour.
- They are unique because, unlike most meteor showers, they originate not from a comet, but from an asteroid, the 3200 Phaethon.
- The 3200 Phaethon was discovered on October 11, 1983.
- It is named after the Greek mythology character Phaethon, son of the Sun God Helios.
- It takes 1.4 years to complete one round of the Sun.
About Meteors:
- Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids.
- When these objects come around the Sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them.
- Every year Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colourful streaks in the sky.