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Credit & Copyright: Mikiya Sato
(Nippon Meteor Society)
Explanation:
Based on its well-measured orbit,
3200 Phaethon
(sounds like FAY-eh-thon)
is recognized as the source of the meteoroid stream responsible for the
annual
Geminid
meteor shower.
Even though most meteor shower parents are comets, 3200 Phaethon
is a known and
closely
tracked near-Earth asteroid
with a 1.4 year orbital period.
Rocky and sun-baked, its
perihelion or closest
approach to the Sun is well within the orbit of innermost planet
Mercury.
In this telescopic field of view, the asteroid's rapid motion against
faint background stars of the heroic constellation Perseus
left a short trail during the two minute total exposure time.
The (faint) parallel streaks of its meteoric children flashed much more
quickly across the scene.
The family portrait was recorded near the Geminid meteor shower's
very active peak on 2017 December 13.
That was just three days before
3200
Phaethon's
historic
close approach
to planet Earth.
This year, the night of December 13 should again see the peak of the
Geminid meteor shower, but faint meteors will be washed out by the
bright light of the nearly full moon.
Watch:
The
2024 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: asteroid - Geminids
Publications with words: asteroid - Geminids
See also: