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Credit & Copyright: Jeff Dai
Explanation:
The annual Geminid meteor shower
is raining down on planet Earth this week.
And despite the waxing gibbous moonlight,
the reliable Geminids
should be enjoyable tonight (night of December 13/14)
near the shower's peak.
Recorded near last year's peak in the early hours of
December 14, 2012, this
skyscape captures
many of Gemini's lovely shooting stars.
The careful composite of exposures was made during a three hour
period overlooking the
Dashanbao Wetlands in central China.
Dark skies above are shared with bright Jupiter (right), Orion,
(right of center) and the faint band of the Milky Way.
The shower's radiant in the constellation Gemini, the apparent
source of all the meteor streaks, lies just above the top of the frame.
Dust swept up from the orbit of
active asteroid
3200 Phaethon,
Gemini's meteors enter the atmosphere traveling
at about 22 kilometers per second.
Watch Tonight:
The
Geminid Meteor Shower
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Geminids - meteor shower - meteor
Publications with words: Geminids - meteor shower - meteor
See also: